Pokemon Legends: Sidestories
by devilrose87
Summary: A series of sidestories taking place in the Pokemon Legends series. Covers important events that take place between or after individual sagas.
1. Chapter 1: Moving Forward

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company.**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter One**

**Moving Forward**

Date: 3 Days after Sanctuary's completion

Sanctuary Island. The existance of the island could be considered as much a legend as the pokemon who reside there. Inaccessible to any trainer who isn't accompanied by a legendary pokemon themselves, the island is home to most known legendary pokemon existing in the regions of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn.

In addition, it is also home to four girls and their own pokemon and a single wooden building stood on the island for the girls to live in, in addition to housing the necessary equipment and supplies to keep the island running. One of the girls, a twelve year old brunette wearing a khaki vest over a white shirt and matching shorts, sat against the wall of the building with a pen and notepad in hand.

"Let's see...total on this island we have...78 pokemon...I think?" Melany tapped her pen against her chin as she thought it over, furrowing her eyebrows. "That's ridiculous...that'd mean an average of twenty pokemon per trainer. That's way too many pokemon." Melany sighed. "I blame May for this..." Melany held up the notepad and wrote the number down.

"What are you blaming me for exactly?" A voice behind Melany asked. Melany gulped nervously and slowly turned around, knowing full well she likely wasn't going to get away easily. A brunette two years younger than Melany and wearing an orange sleeveless outfit over a pair of black spandex shorts. The girl was holding something behind her back.

"May! Where'd you come from all of a sudden?"

"Where do you think? I was inside the headquarters." May replied, then sighed. "It feels really silly to call it that for some reason."

"Probably because it was built on a budget and doesn't look very fitting of being called a 'headquarters' because its barely large enough to house four girls and the necessary equipment for storing pokemon here." Melany said, smiling sheepishly. "By the way, what's that you've got behind your back?" She then asked, trying to peer around her.

May grinned widely and suddenly Melany felt a foreboding feeling come over her. "Oh...you mean this?" May pulled out a hat from behind her back and held it out for Melany to see. It was the signature green and white hat she always wore when she was disguised as Alex.

"My old hat?" Melany blinked. "What are you doing with that?"

"What am I doing? You didn't forget, did you?"

"Forget...?" Melany thought for a moment. She remembered the promise she made to May and cringed. "Yeah, sorry, guess I did..."

"Hmph." May folded her arms and shrugged. "Well I guess I can forgive that since so much had happened since then."

The promise in question was a raincheck for a date Melany was supposed to take May on during their stay at the Battle Frontier. During the time, Melany was disguised as a boy named Alex. That same guise had caused May to previously fall for Melany's male persona and May had decided she would torment Melany for it by forcing her to go out on a date with her as Alex.

However, before they could go on their date, old rivals Vito and Jessica showed up to cause trouble. This was followed by a final showdown with Drake, the mastermind behind the pokemon kidnappings in Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. Drake himself was a frighteningly powerful trainer who had intended to use the wish-granting power of Jirachi to remove all humans from the world, believing their existance to cause nothing but harm for pokemon everywhere.

Their date was inevitably called off, but Melany agreed to take a raincheck believing that May would forgive her for the deception if she went along with it. After dealing with Drake, and with Jirachi in their hands, they used the power of the legendary pokemon to create Sanctuary Island, a safe haven where such pokemon could retreat to so their powers could not be abused by people like Drake. The past few days had been spent getting things organized on the island.

"In any case..." May continued. "You'll be taking me out on that date today, in two hours."

"Wait, what?!" Melany yelled, falling back. "That's too little notice! Can't we do it tomorrow?"

May shook her head. "Nope! I've already made reservations at that restaurant in Fortree."

"Isn't the guy supposed to handle things like that?"

"Probably, but you're not technically a guy in the first place." May countered. "Anyway, the date's in two hours in Fortree. So you better be ready to take me there before then because I don't want to be late!"

"I wouldn't even think about being late!" Melany replied nervously.

"Good!" May reached out and placed the hat on Melany's head. "Well, I'm going to go get ready. See you then!" May then turned and walked back into the headquarters to get ready for her date.

"Two hours huh..." Melany repeated under her breath. "Well, with Alakazam's help, I suppose I could get something ready by then..."

Meanwhile, the other two girls were nearby and had watched the scene unfold. One was the same age as Melany with long, blonde hair that could be more accurately described as yellow and had it tied back in a ponytail. She wore a yellow tunic over dark purple pants and long sleeved shirt. The other girl was another brunette with her hair worn very long in the back. She wore a red skirt and a blue tank top. The two girls were accompanied by a Flareon. The younger girl was brushing the pokemon's fur until she saw the scene between Melany and May.

"Ashley...what were those two doing?" Rina, the blonde haired girl, asked the older girl.

"I don't know." Ashley replied with a shrug, lying back and relaxing in the grassy field. "Whatever it was, it doesn't involve us anyway." She was lying, of course. Ashley knew full well what was going on, being the one to give May the idea in the first place. Of course, she had no intention of telling Rina.

"But I'm confused though! I didn't think they got along that well at all!" Rina said, looking at Ashley as if expecting an answer.

"Why not ask them yourself then?" Ashley suggested.

"Ok then, I'll..."

"-AHEM!-"

"...keep brushing Felicia's fur." Rina smiled sheepishly and returned to brushing the pokemon's fur. Ashley watched her, stifling a giggle. Though Rina didn't have the reputation as a strong trainer like Ashley or May, or an influential background like Melany, Rina was born with a rare ability to understand the speech of any pokemon. It was an ability which, naturally, had its ups and downs.

_"Seems like May's managed to coerce Melany, or rather Alex, into a date."_ Ashley thought, smiling to herself as she laid back in the grass and stared up at the sky. _"I wonder how things will turn out from here?"_

* * *

May spent the better part of an hour getting ready, more than she really needed. Especially since she wasn't even planning to wear a fancy outfit or dress. Rather, she settled for her other travelling outfit. It was similar, though shorter and thus lacking the skirt portion that made up her one-piece outfit. Instead, she wore a white mini-skirt over her noticeably longer shorts. She only took as long as she did to get ready because she decided to take her time.

Melany, meanwhile, tracked down Alakazam to make a few plans. She also met up with Latias to speak with her briefly as either May or Melany would need to take a legendary pokemon with them so they could return to the island later. After making the arrangements and taking Alakazam and Latias with her, Melany changed into the clothing she typically wore as Alex. A green shirt, brown jacket worn open, and blue jeans. She took the usual steps to conceal her real gender as well, including tucking her hair under her hat to make it appear even shorter. Once she was ready, she met May outside at the designated time, close to 4:30 in the afternoon.

"You're going dressed like that?" Melany asked May when she saw her.

"Well I don't see you dressing fancy!" May shot back, quickly looking Melany over. "Unless that jacket is supposed to count."

Melany looked down at her jacket. "This? I just figured it might be for the best if I covered my arms, even if it'd be warmer in Hoenn than it is here."

"Ohhhh? That's the only reason?" May asked, eying her suspiciously.

"Eh?" Melany blinked. "What other reason would there be?"

May shrugged. "Nevermind then. Let's just go, we don't want to be late." May pointed a finger at her. "And don't think for a second that I intend to take it easy on you!"

"Oh don't worry, I've already planned a surprise of my own." Melany replied with a smirk.

"Hmph! Well I'll be ready for it!" May shot back, folding her arms over her chest.

"I doubt that." Melany said. She then reached to her belt and took a pokeball from it. The pokeball contained Latias, put inside briefly after meeting up with her. Melany turned and held out the pokeball and then pressed the button, releasing the legendary pokemon Latias without saying a word. "Ok, Latias, you ready?" Melany asked her.

_"Yep!"_ Latias replied telepathically, giving an enthusiastic nod. She positioned her body to hover horizontally and lowered herself to the ground. _"Just hop on and...umm...point me in the right direction!"_

Melany nodded to her and then sat down on Latias' back. She wavered briefly but was easily able to manage Melany's weight. Melany then turned and held out a hand to May. "Your ride, Milady." She said, trying her best to sound like a gentleman.

"Please, you look way too fake saying that." May said to her, then got onto Latias back on her own. Even with two girls riding her, Latias was able to manage the weight.

"Well you can't blame me for trying." Melany replied with a shrug. "Ok, Latias, let's go! And, uh..." Melany smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Fly as high over the water as you can, please..."

Latias giggled, her laughter echoing through Melany and May's mind. "Ok! Whatever you say!" She replied telepathically, then took off into the air. Slowly, at first, but picking up speed as she moved out over the water.

"They could have at least stayed long enough to help feed the pokemon." Rina muttered bitterly, having stopped to watch them again. This time she was alone and in the process of wheeling out a cart of pokemon feed. She let out a sigh and smiled lightly as she watched them disappear into the distance.

"Well, I suppose I can just get a few of the pokemon to help anyway. Wonder what Pippi's doing right now?"

* * *

Fortree City was built in an area with tall, thick trees with many buildings being constructed up in the trees with rope bridges between them as a result. The large amount of rain received in the area was partially the reason they grew so big. The city was nestled between two routes where it rained nearly everyday, and even when it didn't rain it usually remained cloudy. Fortree itself often saw quite a bit of rain as a result.

Melany and May arrived in Fortree on Latias with only minutes to spare, a fact that wasn't helped by being forced to land outside the city. Being seen with Latias could potentially stir up trouble or draw unwanted attention, so they stayed out of sight by landing in the forest surrounding the nearby route and dismounted there.

"You sure you don't mind waiting here?" Melany asked Latias.

_"Not at all!"_ Latias replied cheerfully.

"Alright. Stay out of trouble then." Melany said to her. Latias pouted, an expression that looked a bit off in her pokemon form. _"Of course, I expected that response."_ Melany thought to herself. _"Afterall, its part of the plan."_

"Let's go already!" May slammed her foot into the ground. "We don't have time for this, we're going to be late!"

"Relax. Its not like the buffet is going to be closed by the time we get there." Melany replied. She then walked out in front of May and held out her hand to her. "In any case, shall we get moving?"

May slapped her hand away. "Idiot! Stop trying to act so mature already!" She then pushed past Melany, heading toward the city.

"She tells me to treat this like an actual date, but it's clear she's just using this as an excuse to get to the Early Swellow's all-you-can-eat buffet." Melany shrugged and followed along behind her.

_"Melany never did explain what a date was."_ Latias thought, blinking. _"Then again, she didn't explain what a 'firework' was."_ Latias smiled to herself. _"But Alakazam will know! She knows everything and she'll help me get them anyway!"_

* * *

"Two passes to the all-you-can-eat buffet, please."

"S-sir, surely you wouldn't prefer one of our daily specials?" The waiter asked Melany while nervously eying May.

_"'Sir', huh? Been a while since I was called that..."_ Melany thought, then smirked to herself and glanced over at May. _"Still...seems they remember her at any rate."_

"No way! I'm not passing up all-you-can-eat pasta!" May replied.

"I see..." The waiter sighed. "Right this way, please..." The waiter motioned for them to follow and lead them to their seats, purposely picking a spot near the wall so May would be as far away from the buffet at the center of the restaurant as possible. After leading them to their seats, the waiter returned to the reception area.

The two girls stood by the table while May looked around at the rest of the restaurants patrons.

"I forgot how out of place I felt here..." May mumbled quietly. "Everyone else is wearing fancy dresses and suits and then there's us, dressed in the exact same outfits we wore everyday while travelling across Hoenn..."

"Kinda brings back memories though, doesn't it?" Melany said to her. "Last time we were here, we were here with Wynaut and had to make a separate order just for him." Melany moved around to May's side of the table and pulled out her chair, then gestured for her to sit down. Without thinking, May did just that, only realizing after what Melany did.

"I told you to stop that!" May said indignantly.

"Oh?" Melany grinned widely. "But you told me to treat this like an actual date."

"No one our age acts like that on a date unless they're joking around!"

"I do that a lot, don't I?" Melany replied, taking her own seat across from May. She couldn't help but smile to herself. _"This date is supposed to be tormenting me, but I think I've been tormenting May more..."_

"Way too much." May said, nodding. She then stood up, even though she had just sat down. "Well, I'm heading over to the buffet..."

"Ah, right! What are we even sitting down for?" Melany said, getting up as well. The two of them then headed over to the buffet table in the middle of the restaurant and grabbed a plate. May, expectedly, started piling the various pastas set out on the table onto her plate.

_"Come to think of it, it's kinda funny that a place called the Early Swellow seems to specialize in pastas. And when you consider the typical noodle..."_ Melany looked at a nearby pot of spaghetti and shuddered. _"Any further along that train of thought and I'll lose my appetite!"_ May came by while she was looking, piling the spaghetti on top of an already heaping plate of pasta. The plate looked like it could spill at any moment.

_"And May is as focused on her favorite food as always. Which is good, because I've already planned for that."_ Melany smirked to herself. _"That is, when she's filling up her third and final plate, I will feign going to the bathroom and put my plan into motion! Heh heh heh! May, your predictable pasta obsession will be your downfall!"_

"Are you going to take anything or just here to watch me?" May asked sarcastically, snapping Melany out of her thoughts.

"Err...well...you see...that's an interesting variety of pasta you have there and I was wondering what might be a good one to try!"

"I don't know." May replied with a shrug, then turned away. "I won't know until after I've tried all of these myself." May then went back to her seat, somehow making it there without spilling anything.

_"You already tried them a couple months back, didn't you?"_ Melany thought. _"Though, at this rate, I'll definitely catch her off guard. Its like she only wanted to do this so she'd get a free meal out of it."_ Melany blinked and narrowed her eyes at May. _"Wait! Or is that what she wants me to think so my guard will be down? I better be careful, Ashley was the one that gave her this idea afterall."_

Melany quickly piled a bit of food onto her plate, choosing a bit of pasta covered in cheese sauce along with a bit of salad and then returned to her seat. By that time, May was more than halfway through the plate of pasta she had grabbed.

"I forgot how quickly May eats when its pasta, does she even taste any of it?" Melany wondered as she sat down and placed her plate on the table.

May stopped eating for a moment and looked at Melany. "Hey...Me-Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"What exactly do couples do on a date?"

"Err..." Melany blushed slightly. "That's...that's a good question actually...I guess this is the first time for either of us." Melany thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Talk I guess?"

"Oh." May quickly shoveled down another forkful of pasta. "Didn't we do that last time anyway? And we had a baby with us then, that seems kinda awkward now that I think back on it..."

_"That's right, last time we were here we had Wynaut with us."_ Melany thought. _"And come to think of it..."_ Melany thought back, recalling what went through her mind that night.

_"Even if something happens, I doubt I'll come here again. Or at least, I won't come here looking like this..."_

Melany's left eye twitched slightly. _"Somehow I'm both back here again, and dressed as Alex...when this is over, I'm burning this stupid hat."_

"A-anyway, a baby pokemon hardly counts." Melany said to May. "And all I remember talking about that time was the mirage pokemon..."

"Hmm..." May stopped again, with her fork hanging out of her mouth. "That's funny though when you think about it...back then we talked about whether or not they actually exist, and by now we've seen almost all of them in person. I wonder if there's even more pokemon like that in other regions?"

"We'll have to find out someday." Melany said, nodding. "Our mission is to protect legendary pokemon from humans who try to abuse their power. If there's legendary pokemon in other regions too, then we should work to find them and give them the option of hiding at the sanctuary."

"Well, the four of us seem to have a natural affinity for them, don't we?" May said to her. "If we even set foot in another region I'm sure we'll run into them all over the place."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We'll just have to do what we can and then pick our target. For us, it shouldn't be too hard." Melany took her fork in hand and finally dug into her own pasta, taking a small forkful and stuffing it into her mouth. "Hmm...not bad..."

May watched Melany eat for a moment before quickly finishing off what little was left on her plate. _"That was good! I'm definitely ready for seconds now!"_ May thought, then a malicious grin spread across her face. _"But first!"_

"By the way, Alex, there's something I wanted to ask you..." May said to her, smiling sweetly.

"Hmm? What is it?" Melany replied while taking another mouthful of pasta.

"W-well...I was wondering...what kind of girls do you like?" Melany nearly choked, barely able to swallow down her last bite.

"W-w-w-what kind of girls? Well that...that is...umm..." Melany blushed. "H-how do I...I...I'm not sure how I should respond to that..."

"Oh?" May tilted her head to the side. "What is it then? Could it be something perverted? Are you one of those boys who judge a girl by their breasts?"

"N-NO! That's definitely not the only reason! I-I mean that's not the reason at all!" Melany waved her hands frantically, May's line of questioning had left her completely flustered.

"B-but...I guess that can't be helped..." May said quietly, suddenly acting quite shy as she looked off to the side. "A-afterall...I'm quite big for my age aren't I? And I've still got a lot of growing to do to...so if that's what you're into..."

"Wh-what?! I said it wasn't!" Melany said frantically. For once, it was her being loud that was getting the attention of the rest of the restaurant patrons.

May then suddenly got up and grabbed her plate. "Well! Time to get more pasta!" She announced, heading straight for the buffet. Melany collapsed, her face hitting the table.

"What kind of question was that...?" Melany whimpered. "I left my guard down and she went straight for the kill... Ashley must have told her to say something like that, there's no way she could come up with such a cute act on her own..."

"Oh? Cute was it?" Melany bolted up. May was already back from piling food on her plate, setting another mountain of pasta down on the table. She then sat down and leaned in close to Melany. "So, seems like I've stumbled onto Melany's interests then, hmm?"

"You...you have quite a capacity for deviousness, but you haven't won yet!" Melany replied, quickly getting up from the table. "Excuse me a moment, I have to go to the bathroom..."

"Seems I've forced her to retreat for now!" May thought, grinning to herself while she watched Melany walking to the bathrooms. Melany almost walked into the girl's bathroom at first, realizing her mistake at the last second and going into the boy's bathroom instead.

_"Ah...she almost made that mistake again."_ May thought, recalling when Melany almost walked into the girls public bathroom at the Safari Zone. _"Then again...she actually is in the wrong bathroom. All just to keep up her disguise." _May looked down at her plate, idly toying with a few noodles with her fork.

_"She only agreed to this because she hopes I'll forgive her for when I thought she was Alex. I haven't even been thinking about that lately, I've been so distracted."_ May frowned. _"Stupid Melany...we're still friends anyway. What difference does whether or not I tell her I forgive her make? What...what is there to even forgive her for?"_

May sighed. _"I was the one that fell for her...or fell for Alex anyway. She was just being nice to me. I never thought for a second that Alex had a romantic bone in his entire body. Someone as stupid as her couldn't have realized doing things like that as a guy would make a girl like her, if it was on purpose she would have taken advantage of it...but she didn't. It's...it's wrong for me to punish her for something like this, isn't it?"_ May pondered it for a moment longer and then shook her head.

"Forget it! I'm not letting thoughts like that get between me and my pasta!" She declared loudly, driving a fork forcefully into the pile of pasta on her plate and taking a large mouthful of it.

* * *

"I should have known May would do something like that since she got the idea for the date from Ashley, but I still let my guard down..." Melany sighed and hit her head against the far wall of the bathroom. "I'm an idiot...but that won't deter me." Melany straightened up and nodded to herself, clenching a fist determinedly.

"Right! She might be out to embarass me on this date, so I'll fight back by doing something unexpected! I'll make sure she has a good time!" Melany took a pokeball from her belt and released Alakazam. "Ok, Alakazam, remember the plan?" Alakazam nodded.

"Ok, good." Melany smiled. "We're a little earlier than I intended, but that shouldn't matter. As long as you and Latias are ready to set them off when we're leaving. We'll give May a show she won't forget!"

_"Human courtship rituals are strange indeed, but I will go along with this." _Alakazam thought to herself. _"I still believe it is unhealthy for a human female to chase after another human female though. It is impossible for a species to reproduce that way, at least one not capable of reproducing through parthenogenesis."_ Alakazam shrugged. _"I suppose in Melany's case she's not likely to be reproducing anytime soon as it is. She's far too young, for one..."_

"Ah...I wonder what goes through that head of your's sometimes, Alakazam?" Melany said to her. "It hardly seems fair that you can read my mind but I can't read your's."

"There is nothing you can do about that except get someone to translate my speech for you." Alakazam thought. "But you know this already."

"Anyway, you should get going already. Tell Latias to buy as much as she can with the money I gave her, I'll leave what she buys up to you." Alakazam nodded and then vanished, using Teleport to leave the room. "Well now that thats done, I should get back to May..." Melany then turned and left the bathroom, managing to do what she had intended without anyone seeing her.

* * *

By the time Melany had returned to her seat, May seemed as though she was already going through her third plate of pasta. Even though she had gone for seconds before Melany left, her plate looked like it was filled again.

"Do I dare ask how many helpings you had when I was in there?" Melany asked as she sat back down.

"Like I had that long!" May replied between mouthfuls of pasta.

"I don't know. You DO inhale that stuff like you're a vacuum cleaner. How do you even have time to taste it?"

"Well for your information this is only my third, so there!" May shot back. "Anyway! Are you even going to finish your's?!"

"Of course, I got distracted for some reason afterall." Melany said, then hurriedly took a few mouthfuls of food to try to catch up to May.

"By the way...about that...what DO you look for in a girl?" May asked her.

"Huh?" Melany stopped and narrowed her eyes at her. "May, you're not going to get me with that a second time."

"I'm serious though!" May said furiously. "You...you like me, right? I don't agree with it, but I really want to know! Why me?!"

"Why you? Hrm..." Melany set her fork down and thought for a moment. _"She does seem sincere this time though, she's not putting an act on. But...I've never given it much thought. Why DID I start liking May? Or for that matter, when? Hmm..."_ Melany looked at May for a moment, resting her hand against her chin and continuing to think it over.

"Well...now that I think about it, you're really cute."

May blushed and looked away. "W-well I know that, I don't need you telling me!"

"You have a nice figure, you're energetic, and its even kinda cute the way you used to hit me whenever you got flustered." Melany thought back. "Except that one time, when I saw you nearly topless. Instead you just got eerily calm and I thought for sure you were going to kill me in my sleep instead."

"I think I let that slide because up until then I was thinking you were gay because you only seemed to think of me as a friend." May replied, remembering the moment in particular when they were forced to share a hotel room in Lilycove. _"That's right...she showed so little interest as Alex that I actually started to think he was gay. Only he was a she. And is."_ May scratched the sides of her head. _"Why does our relationship have to be so weird?! This is entirely her fault!"_

"Though, now that I think about it, I suppose its just how much we've been through together and how much time we've spent with each other." Melany smiled slightly. "Even that time at the hotel brought us closer in a way, didn't it?"

"Huh?" May blinked and looked back at May. "Yeah I guess we...have been through a lot, huh? I mean, we've saved the world how many times now?"

"Once, technically." Melany replied, grinning slightly. "The time in Sootopolis. Against Drake it wasn't the world we saved, just the humans who live here. The world and everything else living in it aside from humans would have been fine."

"The more I think about this the more I realize Melany was just doing what she thought was the right thing, even if her idea of 'right' is a bit skewed and she's too stubborn to admit it." May thought. "I can't really hold a grudge against her for this..."

"Hey, let's just finish what we have left here and leave, ok?" May said to Melany.

"Huh?" Melany blinked and looked at May in confusion. "But...are you really satisfied with just this?" May nodded. "If you say so, but we'll still have to wait for the bill after we're..."

"Your bill, sir." One of the waiters seemingly came out of nowhere and placed it on the table. "I hope you enjoyed your meal."

"Ah...thank you..." Melany replied, taking the bill in her hand and forcing a grin. _"You can at least TRY not to look so eager for us to leave!"_

"Guess that's it then, let's just finish eating!" May said, then dug into what remained of her pasta. Melany sighed and quickly finished her meal off as well. Melany paid the bill on the way out, which was relatively cheap for the amount of food they had eaten courtesy of the buffet. Once the meal was paid for, they stepped outside and were immediately assaulted by a series of flashing lights.

"What the?!" Melany said in surprise.

"It's so bright!" May quickly shielded her eyes. All around them, they could see people and hear voices.

"It's true! She really was here on a date!"

"Miss Maple! Tell us who the lucky guy is!"

"Sir! Could we get your opinion? What's it like to date a celebrity at such a young age?"

"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!" May shrieked.

"Paparazzi...I had a feeling they'd show up." Melany muttered under her breath. _"Seems like they're all using digital cameras too."_ She slowly reached for a pokeball while the reporters continued to barrage them with questions. "May, get ready to run when I say now..."

"What? What are you doing?"

"Magneton, go!" Melany called out, holding out the pokeball and releasing the trio of magnet pokemon. "Magneton, use your Magnet Pull ability!" Magneton activated its magnets, generating a strong magnetic field that pulled all of the reporters' cameras toward it, forcing them to let go.

"Hey! Give those back!"

"That's stealing!"

"Want them back?" Melany smirked. "Then grab them. Magneton, release!" Magneton shut down its magnets, releasing the cameras. Melany then quickly recalled Magneton. "May! Now!"

May and Melany bolted past the reporters while they were scrambling for their cameras, jumping over the railing to quickly get from the tree platform the Early Swellow was mounted on to the ground below. They kept running and were out of sight, hidden in the trees, by the time the reporters got their cameras back. Even so, they kept going, fleeing into the darkness of the evening.

"Damn it, they got away. But at least we still have pictures." One of the reporters said as he picked up his camera. When he tried to cycle through the pictures he took he discovered, to his horror, that the camera's memory had been erased. "That...that brat erased our pictures!"

* * *

"Ok...I think we can stop here..." Melany said, leaning into a nearby tree to catch her breath.

"I can't go any further...I ate too much..." May muttered, plopping straight down onto the ground. "Melany...what was that all about? Why were they after me like I was some kind of celebrity...?"

"Heh...that's because you are." Melany replied, looking back at her with a grin. "Not only are you the regional champion of Hoenn, but you're the youngest in the region's history. You can already buy t-shirts with your face on them."

"Wh-what?!" May said in shock. "Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?!"

"Well, you haven't been in Hoenn much since you became champion." Melany replied. "Though, come to think of it, I'd be surprised if you weren't popular in Johto too since that's your home region."

"This...this is way too much..." May whined.

_"Yeah, I guess she wouldn't be used to this."_ Melany thought to herself. _"I had to deal with them a few times, whenever I was lucky enough to dig something up. I don't like the media though, so I became pretty good at evading them. This might not be the first time she had reporters interviewing her, but its the first time she's had them breathing down her neck."_

"Melany...can you get Latias and drop me off home...please?" May asked her, looking up at her pleadingly.

"Huh? Home?" Melany shook her head. "That's the first place they'd look for you."

"I know but...I just really want to go home right now. I want to get this all sorted out and see my parents again."

"Now that I think about it, it's been a while since she's been home too, hasn't it?" Melany thought, then nodded to her. "Ok, I'll take you home. But there's something I want to show you first." Melany nodded. She took May by the hand and helped her back onto her feet, then lead her out into a clearing on route 119.

_"Ok. Alakazam? If you can hear me, start now."_ Melany thought, hoping Alakazam was able to read her mind from where she was.

"Melany...? What was it you wanted to..." May stopped and fell silent as a series of loud bangs drowned out her voice. Straight ahead of her, coming from further south, she could see several bright, colorful explosions lighting up the sky.

"Fireworks...?" May mumbled under her breath.

"Well, you told me to treat this like a date, so I figured I'd try to impress you." Melany said, grinning sheepishly. "What do you think?"

"They're amazing..." May smiled and turned to her. "Thank you, Melany."

"Hey now, you could at least say 'thank you, Alex' since this was part of the date." Melany replied, earning herself a sharp jab in the chest. "Ow! Hey!"

"Idiot. There's no 'Alex' here and there never was." May said to her. "This fireworks display was set up by my close but stupid friend Melany, and that's that!"

"...I can live with that response I guess." Melany replied, smiling. The two of them watched the rest of the display until the final firework was lit off, sending a yellow ball of light streaking into the darkened sky. It exploded into a giant star-shaped figure, then faded away.

"Melany, thank you, really!" May said, smiling brightly. "Somehow this felt like a real date in the end..."

"So you're saying you're satisfied with this then?" Melany asked her. May nodded.

"All that's left is for you to take the girl home." May said to her.

"Right, guess I should make this quick." Melany replied with a nod. "It'll be really late by the time I get back to the island now."

Melany called out mentally to Alakazam, asking her to take Latias and meet up with them. Flying on Latias, Melany took May home, then headed back to Sanctuary Island. As predicted, it was late by the time she got back, so she went straight to bed.

* * *

The next day...

"WHAT?! You two are leaving too?!"

"Well you can't expect us to spend every day here." Ashley replied.

"We haven't been home in a while either. And its not like any of us will be gone for good, right?"

Early the next morning, Ashley and Rina had their travel bag and backpack packed and were ready to head out. Rina had Deoxys ready to carry her off, whom she was getting along well with, and Ashley had Zapdos waiting for her.

"Eh...I guess that's true...sorry..." Melany sighed. "Well, have a safe trip you too. I'll see if I can have some pokenavs ready for you by the time you get back."

"Thanks! Don't worry too much about the pokemon, most of them are actually pretty responsible on their own anyway." Rina said, then waved and hopped on Deoxys back and held on tightly. "See you two later!" She called out, then took off with Deoxys.

"See you around, Mel." Ashley waved to her and hopped on Zapdos back.

"Ashley...just one thing before you go."

"Hmm?" Ashley looked back at her curiously.

"I WILL get you back for that."

"Ohhh? Whatever could you be talking about I wonder?" Ashley replied, smiling sweetly. "Ok, Zapdos, let's go already." Zapdos nodded and flapped its wings, taking off into the air and flying across the island until it reached the ocean.

"Heh...oh don't try to play dumb." Melany muttered to herself while she watched Ashley disappear into the distance. "Last night...and the embarassment at the Battle Frontier...someday, somehow, I'll pay you back for both in one fell swoop! Mark my words!"

* * *

Author's Notes: And there you have it, the first sidestory chapter. It's been a while since I referred back to some of my Legends in Hoenn chapters this much, but I wanted to make a few references to things May and Melany did together in the past. Especially the time they were in Fortree. Chapter 28 was the main chapter I referred to.

I have some odd ideas for future chapters to come, the first oddball one probably being the next time Melany meets up with May. I plan to cover Ashley and Rina's stories before then, though.

On a side note, Melany might have triggered a 'flag' this chapter.


	2. Chapter 2: Rina's Home

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company.**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Two**

**Rina's Home**

Date: 4 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

"Thanks Deoxys. You can take a rest now." Rina took Deoxys' pokeball in her hand and recalled it, then placed the pokeball on her belt.

It had only been a bit over an hour since she had left the Sanctuary Island, but Rina was now standing outside her home in Pewter City. It was a small home. One floor, not counting the basement, and rectangle in shape with yellow siding and a red shingle roof. However, the house was still too big for a single young girl living alone. Both her parents had died, and her foster father didn't live with her either. Rather, he only dropped by to check up on her while she was home. Brock, the local gym leader, also helped to take care of her and taught her how to cook basic food items.

"Let's see..." Rina slung her backpack over her shoulder and dropped it down on the ground. "I should have a key in here somewhere..." Rina rooted through the front pocket of her backpack and didn't have to search long before she found a brass key with a Pikachu keychain. She approached the front door of her home and stuck the key into the keyhole to unlock it. Before going inside, she checked the mailbox mounted to a wooden post next to the door. It was empty.

"Hmm? That's strange. I wonder if Brock or Lance were taking my mail in?" Rina opened the door and kicked her shoes off, then went straight into the kitchen. A few envelopes were set out on the table, mostly junk mail. Rina quickly sorted through them.

"Huh? A school for gifted trainers?" She said aloud to herself when she came across a peculiar envelope. She opened it up and read the letter inside. _"Wow, it's from another region. I don't think I've heard of that one though."_ She thought as she read it over. _"Ah...so its a special school for trainers who have unique abilities like my ability to understand pokemon."_ Rina smiled to herself. _"But I'm already a pretty good trainer anyway, so going to a school just for that is pointless now!"_

Rina hummed thoughtfully as she set the letter down, then looked around the kitchen. _"Come to think of it...even though I wanted to come home, there's not much to do around here."_ She thought, then glanced over at a nearby clock. _"Its after nine...Brock would be busy with the gym right now. I shouldn't bother him."_

Rina thought for a moment and had an idea. She reached down to her belt and unclipped a pokeball with each hand, then released Mew and Jirachi. She then took another pokeball from her belt and released Pippi. "I almost forgot I wanted to show you around my home, Jirachi!"

"Your home?" Jirachi looked around the kitchen, taking in the sight of the various appliances and cupboards lining the walls. "Human homes look a lot different these days..."

"-Humans have come a long way, haven't they?-" Mew said cheerfully, nodding in agreement.

"-You two have been around for a long time, haven't you?-" Pippi asked them.

"We've been here for as long as the planet's been here I think." Jirachi said to her. "I don't remember much, but I probably remember more than Mew since I was only ever awake for seven days at a time."

"You know, I think you're the only pokemon I've ever encountered that could speak english." Rina said to Jirachi. "Why is that?"

"I don't speak any language actually." Jirachi replied, smiling lightly. "Any humans who hear me speak will always understand what I'm saying. If they couldn't it'd make my job a bit more difficult, afterall."

Rina smiled and nodded. "Ok! That makes sense."

"-That me-clone bugs me though! Why does that thing get telepathy and I don't?!-" Mew whined, flipping over in the air so it was floating upside down. "-It's not fair! We both have psychic powers and its a clone of me!-"

"I think the genetic engineering it went through made it a lot stronger, and having stronger psychic powers probably resulted in the telepathy." Rina reasoned.

"-I don't like that guy either.-" Pippi mumbled. "-Mewtwo's so moody and always wants to be by itself.-" Pippi looked up at Rina. "-Is it true you and the others are planning to build it a cave?-"

"Ehehehe..." Rina rubbed the back of her head. "Well, we have to keep the pokemon on the island happy afterall." Rina then gestured outward toward the kitchen. "Anyway, you three feel free to look around and make yourselves at home. I'm going to go take a shower." The three pokemon nodded and Rina then left the room, heading down the hallway from the door and into the bathroom for her shower.

"What's a shower?" Jirachi asked Mew and Pippi once Rina was gone.

"-It's how humans keep clean these days.-" Mew replied. "-They use this smelly stuff called soap to wash themselves while standing under running water. It's kinda like rain only indoors and completely made by humans!-"

"Wow! I wonder what other things human technology can do these days?"

"-Humans have a lot of amazing toys, they can even make their own electricity!-" Pippi said. She folded her arms and looked away with the equivalent of a 'hmph'. "-Of course, its completely inferior to a Pikachu's electricity! They can't even store it in their own bodies, they still die if they absorb too much electricity.-"

"-Humans play with a lot of things that could seriously hurt them.-" Mew said, then thought it over for a moment. "-We're probably pretty dangerous to them to. They're kinda squishy compared to pokemon.-"

"-Squishy?-" Pippi and Jirachi said simultaneously, baffled by Mew's choice of words.

"Anyway, I think I want to see what else human technology can do these days." Jirachi said, then floated over to the nearby oven and examined it in an attempt to figure out how it worked.

"-They can catch pokemon in tiny little balls and transfer them from anywhere using machines they call 'computers'.-" Pippi said dryly, knowing full well that Jirachi already knew that. Mew giggled, but stopped when it realized Jirachi didn't seem to think the joke was all that funny.

"I already knew that." Jirachi said quietly. He began staring out the window over the kitchen sink as he recalled past events. "Thousands of years ago, humans used to be able to use something called magic. They channeled it through special crystals."

"-You mean like the Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald?-" Mew asked. Jirachi nodded.

"-Wait! What does this have to do with the pokeballs?-" Pippi asked.

"Humans were able to use magic to create something called 'capture jars'." Jirachi explained. "I guess you could say they were the predecessor to pokeballs. But eventually, magic started to fade away. Only a handful of crystals retained that power, but humans eventually lost the ability to access it completely."

"-Now that I think about it, if humans were still capable of using magic then Ashley, May, and Melany probably could have done some really neat tricks.-" Mew said thoughtfully. "-They couldn't access that power at all though. How boring.-"

"Like I said, humans lost that capability." Jirachi said as it turned to face the two. "But, with the loss of magic, they also lost the ability to use capture jars. So they couldn't capture pokemon anymore. Moreover, their ability to defend themselves against wild pokemon was severely hindered."

"-Ah! Wait! I see where you're going with this!-" Pippi said, interrupting Jirachi. "-Someone wished they could capture pokemon again!-"

Jirachi nodded. "Right. And I had to obey, so I gave some humans the knowledge to create primative pokeballs." Jirachi thought back for a moment. "I can only vaguely recall them, but I think they ended up being really big boxes back then. They probably carried one at a time at best." Jirachi shrugged. "Anyway, I can't help but wonder sometimes if I've caused a lot of trouble in granting that wish. Its the only one that had any real longterm effect."

"-Even if they didn't have...those things, couldn't they just befriend pokemon?-" Pippi asked.

"They could. Thats why I felt guilty about it." Jirachi replied. "Humans were forced to learn to bond with pokemon so they would stay by their side. Pokeballs, like capture jars before them, meant any pokemon could be caught against its will."

"-Hmm...but even with pokeballs, humans don't seem that bad.-" Mew said to Jirachi, smiling widely. "-Most humans seem to get along just fine with their pokemon! Its not like the pokeball forces the pokemon to obey, so the humans still have to befriend them anyway!-"

"-Hehe, Rina and I were friends before she actually caught me. She talked me into joining her when I was still a Pichu.-" Pippi said, smiling.

"-I went with her because I wanted to as well.-" Mew said, nodding in agreement.

"Rina was the first human to show me any kindness..." Jirachi blushed slightly and rubbed the back of its head. "She's really nice to pokemon, isn't she?" Mew and Pippi nodded in agreement.

Suddenly the pokemon heard a knock on the door. The three pokemon looked at each other, wondering what they should do, until they heard the door open.

"Rina?" A male voice called out. Pippi's ears twitched.

"-That sounded like Lance!-" Pippi said, then ran out to greet him. Jirachi and Mew soon followed.

"Hello there, Pippi. Is Rina here?" Lance asked, then noticed Mew and Jirachi. _"Only in Rina's home could you find a pokemon like Mew floating around so carefree. I don't recognize the other one though."_ He thought. Pippi nodded in response to his question.

"So who's this guy anyway?" Jirachi asked Pippi.

"-He's Lance, I think he's Rina's father-yet-not-really-her-father. I think she called him her 'foster father'.-"

"Hrm?" Lance raised an eyebrow at Jirachi and folded his arms over his chest. "A pokemon that can speak? That's certainly unusual."

"My name is Jirachi, I used to be the wish granting pokemon but I don't grant wishes anymore." Jirachi replied, bowing to Lance. "Its a pleasure to meet you sir!"

"A wish granting pokemon too?" Lance rested the palm of his hand against his forehead and shook his head. _"Where on Earth does she keep finding these pokemon?"_

"Like I said, I don't grant wishes anymore." Jirachi said to him. "Anyway, if you're looking for Rina, she's getting a shower."

Lance nodded. "I see. I'll wait then." Lance went into the living room, which was immediately to the right of the front entrance, and sat down on the sofa. Mew and Jirachi then split up, Jirachi heading back into the kitchen/dining room and Mew going further down the hall and into one of the bedrooms. Pippi debated which one to follow for a moment before heading into the kitchen to keep an eye on Jirachi as it curiously examined the various appliances.

After almost half an hour in the shower, Rina eventually emerged from the bathroom and was wearing a different set of clothes for once since she now had access to her full wardrobe. Rather than wearing anything fancy, though, she just grabbed a pink t-shirt and yellow shorts. As soon as Rina was out of the bathroom, Pippi rushed to speak with her.

"-Rina! Lance is here! He's in the living room!-" Pippi said when she reached Rina.

"Lance is?" Rina blinked and headed into the living room to see for herself. Jirachi and Mew, having overheard her, caught up to her and followed her in. Lance was still sitting on the sofa, looking as though he had fallen asleep while sitting there. He opened his eyes as soon as Rina entered the room, though, as he was only resting his eyes.

"Lance? What brings you here?" She asked him.

"I stopped by to check up on you. Nothing wrong with that, is there?" Lance replied, standing up from the sofa. He then eyed her curiously. "Rina, remember the tracking device I gave you?"

"Of course!" Rina replied with a nod. "I've kept it in my pocket the whole time." She blushed slightly and looked toward the bathroom. "Its in my other pants right now though..."

"Hrm. Interesting." Lance stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I've been trying to find you for the past day to see how things went with you and May. I was especially curious when the signal stayed seemingly in the middle of the ocean. I couldn't fathom why you might be there and feared the worst..."

"Umm..." Rina fidgeted nervously, twiddling her thumbs. "Well...about that..."

"Imagine my surprise, then, when my attempts to go to there are unsuccessful. As if that part of the ocean simply doesn't exist." Lance continued. "Given that you and your friends hang around a lot of mythical pokemon with immense and unusual powers, I'm sure there's a very interesting explanation for why a several kilometer long section of the ocean near Hoenn seems to have become inaccessable."

"Y-yeah! That is interesting, isn't it?" Rina replied nervously. _"What am I supposed to say to that? That there's really an island of legendary pokemon there inaccessible to anyone without a legendary pokemon themselves?"_

"Allow me to explain. That area of the ocean contains an island of legendary pokemon inaccessible to anyone that isn't accompanied by one themselves." Jirachi explained to Lance.

Rina stared at Jirachi in disbelief. "How can Jirachi just come straight out and say that?" She wondered.

"I see." Lance gave a slight shrug. "I suppose it can't be helped then. I take it you've had some involvement in this, Rina?"

"Oh, umm..." Rina paused for a moment, caught slightly off guard by Lance's question. "Well we used a wish from Jirachi to protect the island from intruders, making it a safe haven for the legendary pokemon. There's only one legendary pokemon that we know of in the regions of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn that isn't either with us or on the island."

Lance nodded to her. "I see."

"-Rina doesn't seem very open to talking about the island, does she?-" Mew whispered to Pippi.

"-Well, its kinda something really, really unusual for her to talk about with the average human I think.-" Pippi replied. "-If it was anyone but Lance, they'd probably think she was lying or even crazy.-"

"About that, even though we have everything pretty much sorted out at this point, food supplies on the island are limited." Rina smiled sheepishly. "So...any chance you might be able to get some kind of funding for us through the Kanto League?"

"I'll see what I can do, but putting forth such a proposal would fall to Gary now." Lance said to her. "Also, at the very least, I would need detailed information on just how many pokemon we're dealing with here and what species of pokemon."

"I see..." Rina laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head. "I don't get all that political stuff anyway so I have no idea what that'll involve for Gary..."

Lance shook his head sadly. "He doesn't know it that well himself at this point. In any case, while I am here, I would like to battle one of your pokemon, Rina."

"Hmm?" Rina blinked and looked back at Pippi, Mew, and Jirachi. "One of these three you mean?"

"Knight, actually." Lance said to her. "I would like to see what kind of progress you've made with it, and as such I will be using my own Dragonite for the battle."

_"I guess I should have expected something like that eventually. He's the dragon master, after all."_ Rina thought, then nodded to him. "Ok, I'll do it."

* * *

Rina and Lance stepped outside, accompanied by the three pokemon, and then distanced themselves in front of Rina's home to give their pokemon room to battle. They each then took a pokeball in their hands and released their Dragonites. Lance's Dragonite seemed slightly larger than Rina's. Knight was just barely over sevent feet tall, while Lance's Dragonite was closer to seven and a half. Knight was easily distinguished in color as well, having a greenish-colored skin and purple wings.

"-Knight. Its been a while. I hope you and your trainer can make this interesting for me at least.-" Lance's Dragonite said to Knight.

"-I haven't been able to keep up with you since you evolved, but I'm confident I can hold my own now.-" Knight replied.

_"Sounds like they know each other well, but I guess that should be obvious."_ Rina thought to herself. _"But still...I've never really seen Lance battle much, and he's never seen me fight either. I wonder if I'll be able to win this somehow?"_

"Are you ready, Rina?" Lance asked her.

"Ready when you are!" Rina replied enthusiastically.

Lance smirked. "Then I hope you will give it your best." He said to her. "Dragonite, begin with Dragon Rage!"

"Knight, set up a defensive Twister!"

Lance's Dragonite opened its mouth and shot a giant blue fireball at Rina's, but before it could reach Knight it disappeared into a twister that rose up from the ground and reached high into the sky. Knight was busily flapping its wings while Lance's Dragonite attacked, whipping up a strong Twister that managed to block the Dragon Rage. From Lance's side of the field, he couldn't even see Rina or Knight hiding behind it.

"Ok, now fly up and use Agility." Rina said quietly, though still loud enough for Knight to hear her. Knight nodded and flew up into the air while keeping itself concealed behind the Twister.

"What's she doing?" Jirachi asked Pippi.

"-Umm...I'm not even sure.-" Pippi replied, scratching the back of her head with her paw. "-Actually, I don't understand this stuff much at all, I just do what Rina tells me and hope it involves Volt Tackle...-"

_"Interesting, seems like she planned to take a defensive stance from the start, why would she do that I wonder?"_ Lance thought, pondering Rina's technique. "Dragonite, move around it and attack with Dragonbreath." He then ordered his pokemon.

Dragonite nodded and flapped its wings to lift off and fly around the twister that was between the two of them. It prepared to fire at Knight as it came around, opening its mouth and building up flame in its throat, but stopped itself when it noticed Knight wasn't there. It quickly looked up and saw Knight flying overhead, hovering next to the dying twister. It quickly fired off the prepared Dragonbreath, leaving little time to react. Knight was still able to fly up further and put himself just out of reach of the attack, though.

"Knight, get a Dragon Claw attack ready!" Rina called out to him. Knight raised one hand over its head and extended its claws. An orange energy formed on them, making the claws look several times longer than they actually were.

_"Knight can't be that fast."_ Lance thought. He smirked to himself. _"So that was it. She used the Twister technique to hide Knight from view and protect him while she had him power up with Agility. She's taking a defensive stance, and no doubt waiting for an opening to deliver a critical blow in hopes of defeating my Dragonite quickly. Let's see if she can pull it off then..."_

"I see what you're up to, but we won't move any closer!" Lance called out to Rina. "Dragonite, Thunderbolt!"

"Knight, dive straight down!" Knight turned over in the air and dove straight down toward the ground, avoiding the bolt of electricity that Lance's Dragonite fired at it. "Ok! Now pull out of it and aim for the gut with Dragon Claw!"

Knight pulled out of his dive just before hitting the ground and held out his hand, Dragon Claw at the ready and pointing straight ahead of him. Maintaining his momentum from the dive, he jabbed his claws into his opponent's stomach and pushed him along the ground until he lost his momentum and stopped. Lance's Dragonite collapsed to its knees, stabilizing itself with one hand while panting heavily. Knight quickly hopped back, distancing himself from his opponent and disengaging his Dragon Claw.

"Hmm. So you never intended for me to get close before you attacked." Lance said to Rina, sounding impressed. "Of course, I knew what was coming as soon as I saw your pokemon's speed."

"Say what?! You knew I'd be attacking like that?!" Rina said, shocked by the revealation.

"-Wow! Lance is pretty smart!-" Mew said, impressed by him. Jirachi nodded in agreement.

"-Well, he IS one of the Elite Four...-" Pippi said.

"I wondered what kind of techniques you would use." Lance continued. "But now, having seen that, I'm afraid this battle must end. Dragonite, Ice Beam!" While still down on the ground in pain and trying to catch its breath, Lance's Dragonite raised its head and opened its mouth. A blue beam shot out, striking Knight in the chest and forming a layer of ice around him that almost looked like a chestplate. Knight groaned and staggered back, then fell onto his back when the ice suddenly shattered.

_"An ice attack? From a dragon?! I didn't see that coming at all!"_ Rina thought, then called out frantically to Knight. "Knight! Are you ok!?" Knight slowly sat up, groaning in pain and clutching his chest. He glared at his opponent, knowing now that he never stood a chance in a straight up fight. In one attack, Lance's Dragonite dealt far more damage than Rina's complex set-up had managed to pull off. Neither pokemon could take another hit, but both were still able to fight and eventually got back on their feet.

"It seems this next attack will settle this." Lance said to Rina.

_"He's right...but it doesn't make any difference, does it?"_ Rina thought. _"If he was being serious from the start, I bet he would have won already..."_ She smiled weakly. _"I should have known better than to think I could beat Lance at his own game."_

"Knight! Move in and attack fast! Wing Attack!"

"Dragonite, finish with Thunderbolt!"

Lance's Dragonite began to charge electricity and pointed a hand toward Knight. Knight gave a flap of its wings and hopped toward Dragonite, landing in front of it and in range to attack. It stiffened one wing and struck out at Dragonite while Dragonite let loose a bolt of electricity from its hand. Both pokemon were struck simultaneously and knocked back by their attacks, collapsing to the ground. They both fainted, ending the match in a draw.

"Not bad. You might even be able to beat me if we weren't both using dragons." Lance said as he recalled his pokemon, then took another pokeball in his hand. "Well, I'm afraid now I must be off."

"What? Already?" Rina asked him. She quickly recalled Knight. "But where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Well, since you're home, I figure I'll drop by Pallet Town and see if I can find Ashley." Lance replied. Holding out his pokeball to the side he released his pokemon, the ancient flying pokemon Aerodactyl. "It seems there's still someone from the Grand Hunters about, and I'm hoping to enlist this region's champion in tracking her down." Rina, Jirachi, Pippi, and Mew all gasped.

"But...but...there's no way a human could have survived that!" Jirachi said, immediately fearing the worst.

"-Drake...he's not still alive somehow is he!?-" Pippi said, assuming the same.

"-I... I... -" Mew paused for a moment and looked at Pippi and Jirachi. "-Who are we talking about again?-" Pippi and Jirachi fell to the ground.

"Are...are you sure there's still one more?" Rina asked nervously.

"I'm afraid so." Lance replied with a nod. "Seems one of their top five escaped that time." Lance then moved toward Aerodactyl and climbed onto his pokemon's back.

Rina let out a sigh of relief. _"For a second there, I thought maybe Drake really DID survive that."_ She thought. After calming down, she finally realized what else Lance had said. "Wait! What do you mean you want to enlist this region's champion? Wouldn't that be Red?"

Lance was quiet for a moment, thinking to himself before he looked back at Rina. "Red stepped down." He let that sink in for a moment, then continued. "He came to me in person to tell me he wanted to turn in his title as regional champion. No one has seen him since then. Since Ashley is the only other trainer qualified at the moment, that makes her the new champion."

"I... see..." Rina mumbled, her gaze lowering toward the ground.

"On that note, before I leave, perhaps you could confirm for me whether or not she's there?" Lance asked her. Rina nodded slowly. "I see...thank you." He paused for a moment. "Rina...I don't know what your relationship with Red is, but I'm sure he doesn't intend to be gone forever."

_"No...I know..."_ Rina thought. _"He said he was going to go into training but...to go an disappear like this...what's he trying to do? Does he blame himself for everything that happened? Is that why? Is he running away? ...No, that can't be it. Red wouldn't run from anything...would he?"_

"In any case, I'm off." Lance said to her. "If you're sticking around a while, then I suppose I will see you later." He patted his pokemon on the back. "Aerodactyl, lets go. To Pallet Town." Aerodactyl nodded and flapped its wings, taking off into the air.

"-Rina...are you ok?-" Pippi asked, approaching her trainer.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Rina replied, forcing a smile. "It's not like he'll be gone forever, and I'm sure he'd have a good reason for it."

"-If you say so...-" Pippi replied, sounding unsure.

"Anyway! Let's go back inside now and watch tv!" Rina turned and starting walking back toward her house, still forcing a smile. "I wonder if any of those shows I used to watch are still on?"

"-Is she going to be ok?-" Mew asked Pippi.

"-I think so? She seems fine now anyway.-" Pippi replied.

"Let's go inside then, I want to see what this 'tv' thing is." Jirachi said, then quickly floated into the house after Rina. Pippi and Mew followed behind it, heading inside as well.

Rina would spend the rest of the day watching tv with her pokemon, trying to distract herself from thinking about Red and wondering where he went.

* * *

Author's Notes: Not much of note here I don't think. Though, I'd like to say that I want to make each character's battle style more distinct. In Rina's case, that will be focusing on defense until she can land a crippling blow on the opponent. This is also where we find out about Red "disappearing". Where? Well, I'm sure everyone reading this has a pretty good idea of where Red is right now.

Next chapter will focus on Ashley and hopefully clear up a few things regarding her family as well.


	3. Chapter 3: Unfinished Business

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company.**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Three**

**Unfinished Business**

"Phew...Kanto's a fair distance away from the Sanctuary Island, but we're finally here." Ashley hopped off Zapdos back and patted the bird pokemon on the head. "Guess I should have said something to get it moved a bit closer, we had to travel all the way across Johto too."

"-Tch. Don't take me lightly. That trip was nothing.-" Zapdos said, shrugging its wings.

"Too proud to admit that tired you out, huh?" Ashley said to Zapdos. Zapdos ruffled its feathers, producing tiny sparks, and turned away. "Typical." Ashley took Zapdos pokeball from her belt. "Well either way, you can take a well deserved rest now." She held the pokeball toward Zapdos and pressed the button, recalling it. She then returned the pokeball to her belt and turned toward the house they had landed in front of.

"It's been a while, I wonder how mom and Rolly are doing?" Ashley walked up to the house, moving along the concrete pathway that parted the front yard. She opened the door and stepped inside.

"MOM! I'm..." Ashley raised her voice to announce her presence, but stopped when she saw a pokemon heading down the hall in front of her, then turning and heading up the stairs. The pokemon was a Raichu, and it was carrying a basket of clothes in its hands.

"Huh..." Ashley blinked. "Did mom use Rolly and catch more pokemon while I was gone?"

She pondered this for a moment before going into the living room, where she could hear a vacuum cleaner going. She expected to see her mother inside, but instead there was a muscular, four armed pokemon. It was vacuuming the floors with two of its hands while holding a duster in another hand and dusting off the furniture. The pokemon, which Ashley recognized as a Machamp, stopped when it realized it had an audience.

"A...Machamp too...?" Ashley muttered to herself. "Where did she...am I in the right house?"

Meanwhile, Ashley's mother had been in the kitchen. Having thought she had heard Ashley's voice she moved to the hall to check and could see her at the entrance to the living room. "Ashley! You're home! I thought I heard you come in!"

"Mom...? Why is there a..." Ashley turned toward her mother as she spoke. She saw her standing in the hall holding a mixing bowl, with two pokemon standing beside her. One was Rolly, the Sentret that Ashley had caught for her. The other, however, was a Starmie. "Ehh?! Another one?!" She shouted and pointed at the Starmie. "MOM! Where did you get all these pokemon?!"

"Hmm?" Her mother blinked and looked at the Starmie next to her. "This is the first time you've seen them, isn't it? These pokemon showed up several days ago." Her mother replied, smiling. "It was the strangest thing! I was out in the front yard with Rolly, trimming the bushes, when suddenly these six pokemon popped out of nowhere! They seemed just as confused about it as I was too."

"Six pokemon? Where are the other three?" Ashley asked her.

"There's a Nidoking and Nidoqueen in the backyard, and an Arcanine taking a magazine order to Viridian City to mail it for me." Her mother explained to her.

"-This house has gotten really crowded lately.-" Rolly added, nodding.

"But where did all these pokemon come from I wonder? You said they just popped out of nowhere a few days ago?" Ashley asked. Her mother nodded. "Hmm..." Ashley rubbed her chin as she thought about it.

_"My wish was for all enslaved pokemon to be freed and returned to their rightful place or trainer!"_

_"...Then if the trainer was dead, where would those pokemon go?"_ Ashley wondered, recalling Rina's wish. _"If my hunch is right...then these pokemon...but if that was the case..."_ Ashley lowered her hand and stared intently at her mother.

"Mom...you already know who these pokemon belonged to, don't you?" Ashley heard the vacuum cleaner in the living room shut off suddenly as the Machamp stopped what it was doing to listen in on their conversation and Raichu's ears could be seen poking out of the stairs railing as the Raichu eavesdropped from above.

Her mother frowned. "So you've figured it out then..." She sighed and looked down at Starmie. "I didn't want to tell you because I thought you might be upset. You're right though, I do know. They're your father's pokemon." She smiled weakly as she looked back at Ashley. "But you obviously figured that out on your own..."

"Upset? Why would I be upset?" Ashley asked her. After her encounters with Red and Drake, she had already managed to figure out what had happened to her father. He set out on his own to try to stop Drake long before he had managed to gather his followers or create slave collars. However, Drake was too strong for him, and killed him to keep him quiet.

"I never told you about how he disappeared that day." Catherine said to her.

"So you already knew too, that he didn't leave because he was going on another pokemon journey." Ashley said to her, then eyed the mixing bowl in her hands. "Are you sure you just want to stand here talking about this, though?"

"Oh, dear me!" Catherine chuckled. "I forgot all about this...but it seems like you've already figured everything out regarding your father, so there isn't much point in saying anymore about it, is there?"

"I guess not." Ashley replied, chuckling lightly. "I was wondering whether or not I should tell you actually, and how you'd react, but I guess it makes no difference. But that still leaves one issue..." Ashley looked around at the three pokemon gathered. "What are you going to do about them...?"

"Professor Oak handled that for me actually. Officially they're my pokemon now, except for the Arcanine." Caroline explained. "Arcanine was registered to Professor Oak. We both use Arcanine to retrieve packages for him in Viridian City now."

"So that way you can keep all six of them around..." Ashley said, nodding in understanding.

"Well, I suppose I should go finish this bread now! I wasn't expecting I'd have you here for dinner tonight."

"Alright, I'll be in my room then. I have some pictures to sort through."

Ashley's mother went back into the kitchen with Rolly and Starmie to finish her baking, while Ashley headed upstairs. The Raichu waiting at the top tried to act innocent as Ashley passed by, breathing a sigh of relief when she only patted it on the head and continued on without another word. Raichu went back downstairs, and the Machamp went back into the living room to continue its chores.

* * *

"Well it seems like I don't have to worry about mom anymore, she has strong pokemon to protect her and help out around the house now." Ashley said to herself, sitting down on the edge of her bed and plopping her travel bag down onto the floor. "Of course they'll take care of her though, those are dad's pokemon. They probably know her better than they know me..."

Ashley reached into her bag and took out a white envelope, which held copies of all the pictures she had managed to take since the last time she had been home. She had pictures of every legendary pokemon she had encountered, several pictures of wild pokemon from around Hoenn, and pictures of her new friends. One picture in particular had the four girls posing with all the legendary pokemon on the newly completed Sanctuary Island.

"Hmm...what to do with these photos..." Ashley mumbled to herself. "There's no doubt I could do a lot with some of these, especially the photos of the legendary pokemon. And now that I'm finished challenging gyms and beating up bad guys, I have all the time in the world to take more. More importantly, my pokemon can transport me pretty much anywhere in the world. So turning these pictures over to something like the Kanto Times seems kinda pointless..." Ashley sighed and flopped back on her bed.

_"I've always wanted to be a photographer but, aside from the Kanto Times, I never thought much about what I wanted to do with the pictures."_ She thought while she stared up at her ceiling. _"I never imagined I'd be where I am today, so that always seemed like my best option. There's no reason now that I shouldn't try to make a name for myself, on my own, but how should I do that?"_

Ashley pondered her dilemma for a moment then suddenly bolted up. "I know! I'll make my own website!" She fell silent after, then flopped back down on her bed again. _"But I don't know the first thing about making a website...and I'd be better off having a digital camera in that case anyway. Who do I even know that could make the website though? Melany?"_

_"Ashley...just one thing before you go. I WILL get you back for that."_

Ashley let out a nervous laugh. "...She'd use it as an excuse to get back at me." She then sighed and thought it over for another minute, trying to think of who she knew that was good with computers. She eventually remembered that Bill, the storage system operator in Kanto and Johto, and Celio both worked with computers routinely.

_"I could probably ask Bill about it, and if he can't do it then maybe Celio can. And I could probably get enough cash for a digital camera to make uploading the pictures easier."_ She smiled to herself. _"Maybe having my own website for my pictures will work out afterall."_

Ashley got up from the bed and walked over to her window, which had a view of their backyard. It was a small area with barely enough room for a clothesline, they didn't use the backyard often. She could see the Nidoking and Nidoqueen that her mother had mentioned, cuddling in the backyard and rubbing their horns together.

_"I guess that explains why dad would have both of them, I bet they were like that when he ran into them in the wild."_ Ashley thought, then turned to face her bed and the wall of pictures behind it while leaning back against her window. "Still have to deal with those pictures...but no rush really. I'm staying here for a few days at least. Think I'll go visit Professor Oak for a little while..."

Ashley walked over to her bag and grabbed her pokedex, then took off downstairs.

"Mom, I'm going to see Professor Oak! I'll be back in a bit!" Ashley called out into the kitchen.

"Ok then, the bread should be ready by the time you get back then." Her mother replied. Ashley then left through the front door and headed to Professor Oak's lab.

* * *

After a short walk, Ashley reached the front door of Professor Oak's lab. She opened the door and stepped inside. Several of the professor's aides were moving through the lab, stopping only briefly to greet Ashley when they saw her but then hurrying back to their work.

"Everyone looks busy today...hope I won't be interrupting anything." Ashley thought as she strolled down the main corridor, toward Professor Oak's office. When she reached his office door she reached out toward the handle but then hesitated and knocked on the door instead.

"Come in." Professor Oak's voiced called out from the other side. Ashley opened the door and stepped in. Oak's back was to the door at first, busily typing away at one of his computers, but he soon turned around to greet her.

"Ah! Ashley! I was hoping I would get the chance to talk to you soon." Professor Oak said to her. "Bill's told me about the island you're using for your pokemon storage now. To think it's turned out that every legendary pokemon believed to exist in the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn regions, not only exists but now all live on an island between Johto and Hoenn!"

"Well, we're still missing one actually, we'll probably remedy that soon enough I guess." Ashley said to him. "I have data on all the pokemon staying there compiled on my pokedex actually, both legendary pokemon and regular pokemon." Ashley approached Professor Oak and held out her pokedex to him.

"Excellent work." Oak took her pokedex and quickly skimmed a few pages. "You catch so few pokemon compared to Gary and yet you always manage to surprise me with what you've managed to get your hands on."

"Hehehe..." Ashley rubbed the back of her head. "I surprise myself sometimes..."

"Hrm...how peculiar..." Oak showed the pokedex to Ashley, which displayed Deoxys. After a moment, he switched it to the page for Mewtwo. "What can you tell me about these two pokemon, Ashley? They don't appear to have been officially assigned numbers..."

"Those two?" Ashley blinked and leaned closer to the pokedex for a better look. "That first one fell from space apparently. The space center in Mossdeep calls it Deoxys. The other one is Mewtwo, a clone of Mew. I have no idea where that one came from though so that's about all I can say..."

"A clone of Mew and a pokemon that fell from space..." Professor Oak took the pokedex back and looked over their pages again. "Interesting. The main office of the Pokemon Research Association will have to handle their numbering, but before they can be presented we'll need to get more information on them. I would assume this space center has more information on Deoxys, which leaves Mewtwo..."

"It can speak through telepathy, so we can just ask Mewtwo a few things." Ashley said to him. "Though, good luck getting a straight answer out of it."

"What about Deoxys? Can't your friend Rina understand pokemon?"

"There's a problem with that one apparently, either it just doesn't speak or Rina can't understand it because its not from our planet." Ashley replied.

Oak nodded slowly. "I see...those two seem to be the only problem pokemon, though. The rest of the mythical pokemon you've caught have all had pre-assigned numbers, appearing at the end of the pokedex listings for the specific regions they were believed to reside in."

_"So...if there's reason to believe a given pokemon exists, there will be a number reserved for it."_ Ashley stroked her chin thoughtfully. _"That's useful to know. In order for the Sanctuary to be a success, legendary pokemon from other regions would need to be safeguarded there too. A list of known pokemon for that region should therefore have a list of the legendary pokemon believed to exist, which would make it easier to track them down..."_

"Ashley, when the three of you set out that day, I had a feeling you would catch the most pokemon for my research." Professor Oak said to Ashley.

"Really?" Ashley blinked. "But...back then, I was only interested in getting pictures of them..."

"That would be precisely why I thought you would do well." Oak replied with a slight smile. "Taking pictures of wild pokemon didn't seem so far removed from catching them." He chuckled to himself. "Of course, I had no idea you would enter the pokemon league. I knew Gary and Red would enter, they were each competing for the position of Champion of the Elite Four. To think you went that far just for Bulbasaur's sake...how is my old pokemon doing anyway?"

"Well I could show you but..." Ashley left her sentence hanging and glanced around the room. Oak nodded in understanding.

"Yes, I understand. He has grown quite a bit hasn't he?" Professor Oak stood up from his chair. He moved to his pokedex scanner and placed Ashley's pokedex inside, then paused in contemplation. "Its been quite a while since you first left with Bulbasaur, you've both grown so much since then, and have even conquered the Elite Four. All three of you have..."

_"It's funny that he should mention that."_ Ashley thought. _"All three of us got our first pokemon from Oak in exchange for helping him with his research by using the pokedex to collect data."_ Ashley glanced at her pokedex. _"Those pokedexes turned out to be pretty useful too, though, by giving us detailed information on our own pokemon. And then the three of us go on to defeat the Elite Four, among other things. I wonder if that's any coincidence?"_

"Well then! While that's downloading, let's go to the main lab, shall we?" Professor Oak said to Ashley. Ashley nodded.

Ashley followed Professor Oak as he left his office, down a set of corridors until they came upon one with only two doors on one side. Both lead into the same room. They stepped inside, entering a large open research lab. Various equipment for recording data were lining the walls, which one of Oak's aides were running tests on to ensure they were in working condition. The middle area of the room was kept clear, leaving space for the pokemon itself.

Once they were in the lab, Ashley took Venusaur's pokeball from her belt. "Ok, Venusaur, come on out!" She called out, releasing Venusaur into the center of the room. Venusaur grunted and took a quick look around.

"-Well its about time. And here I thought you might not have the sense to even bring me here.-" Venusaur muttered.

_"He still doesn't like me much by the sound of things."_ Ashley thought. Though she didn't understand what Venusaur said, his tone didn't go unnoticed by her.

"To tell you the truth, this is the first real opportunity I've had to study a Venusaur." Professor Oak said to them, admiring the fully evolved pokemon. "Since Red only has six pokemon, he keeps them with him at all times. The only data I get is that which he records in the pokdex himself."

"Really? What did he write about Venusaur?"

"Hmm...let me see now..." Professor Oak thought back for a moment, then nodded to himself. "Yes, I remember now. 'A bewitching aroma wafts from its flower. The fragrance becalms those engaged in battle.' That's what he said about it."

Ashley snickered. "That must be referring to his own Venusaur, mine definitely couldn't do anything 'becalming'."

"-Sweet Scent. Look it up in that fancy pokedex of your's sometime.-" Venusaur grunted.

"Well anyway, I'll leave Venusaur with you for now so you can record data on it. I'm sure he'd rather stay with you anyway." Ashley said to Professor Oak.

"-I didn't hear you ask my opinion.-" Venusaur said to her. "-You're absolutely right, but the fact that you assumed it makes me feel like refusing out of spite.-"

"Oh? Do you have somewhere you need to go, Ashley?" Professor Oak asked her. Ashley quickly shook her head.

"No, but my mom's in the middle of baking bread and its been a while since I've had freshly baked bread."

"I see." Oak chuckled. "Well, I won't keep you then. Just be sure to drop by again before you leave Pallet Town."

"Don't worry, I'm staying for a few days at least." Ashley replied.

"Good. Plenty of time then." Professor Oak nodded. "Then I will be seeing you later."

"Right!" Ashley nodded. "Later!" Ashley turned and left the lab, placing Venusaur's empty pokeball back on her belt on her way out.

* * *

Ashley headed straight home from Professor Oak's lab. When she got there, she discovered that the Arcanine that her mother sent on an errand had returned. Seeming to be asleep, it was sprawled out across the walkway in front of the door.

"That must be dad's old Arcanine...well I'll just sneak by while its asleep." Ashley approached the Arcanine, but when she reached for the door it started to growl.

"Or...not..." Ashley slowly backed away. The Arcanine opened its eyes and stood up, still growling at her.

"Easy boy...I live here, ok? I just need to get by..." Arcanine continued to growl at her, ignoring her plea. _"Great...it isn't budging, and I really don't want to battle it..."_ Ashley thought to herself.

As Ashley tried to figure out what to do about Arcanine, the front door opened and her mother stepped outside.

"I see you're back." Her mother said to her. "Arcanine, it's ok. This is my daughter." She then said to Arcanine. Arcanine snorted and moved aside, still showing an intense distrust toward Ashley despite what Catherine had said.

"Thanks..." Ashley breathed a sigh of relief and walked past Arcanine. _"Geez, what a grumpy pokemon."_ She thought, watching it out of the corner of her eye. It was still watching her every movement with an intense distrust.

"You timed it just right, Ashley." Her mother said as Ashley stepped inside.

"Bread just finished baking?" Ashley asked her, heading toward the kitchen. She stopped at the entrance and stared in disbelief at the figure sitting at the dining table.

"Actually...you have a visitor." Her mother walked past her, into the kitchen, to speak with the man. "Lance, was it? You had something to tell Ashley?"

"A few things, actually." Lance replied. He looked to Ashley with a smirk. "You seem surprised to see me..."

"Well of course I'm going to be surprised if one of the Elite Four just drops by!" Ashley shot back. "Yeesh...so what did you want to tell me anyway?" Ashley walked into the kitchen and then sat down at the table across from Lance. Rolly and Starmie were still in the kitchen as well and crowded around Catherine when she took a seat at the table as well.

"Well, first things first, there's the issue with Red." Lance said to Ashley, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. "Red has stepped down from the position of regional champion, and has since disappeared. No one seems to know where he's gone."

"Red...disappeared?" Ashley asked. "Why would he do that?" She wondered. "He said he was going off to train, but thats no reason to step down as champion, let alone just disappear like that..."

Lance nodded. "That's right. We haven't even been able to get in touch with him since." He said to her. "Also, since Red has stepped down, that makes you Kanto's new champion."

"EH?!" Ashley nearly fell out of her chair in shock. "W-wait! Don't I get a say in this? What if I don't want to be Kanto's champion?!"

Lance shrugged. "If that's truly how you feel, then you're free to step down as well." He replied. "The position would simply be unfulfilled until the next Kanto trainer shows up." Lance looked at Ashley intently. "Is that what you want to do?"

Ashley remained quiet for a moment, thinking it over. All eyes were on her, including the Starmie, Raichu, and Machamp that had belonged to her father. Raichu and Machamp were eavesdropping from the hallway.

"Becoming champion...was never my goal." Ashley said quietly. "Challenging the Kanto League was something I did for my pokemon, who were eager to battle strong trainers. But with that said..." Ashley looked back at Lance. "Having achieved such a title, it'd be silly of me to turn it down. So count me in!"

The pokemon gathered cheered as Ashley said this, causing her to look about in confusion. "Huh? What's with them?"

"Your father once hoped to rise to fame by being the first trainer to defeat Duke since he became the Elite Four Champion and become the Kanto Champion." Her mother said to her. "Since you're his daughter, his pokemon are no doubt happy to see you achieve that goal in his place."

"I guess that makes sense." Ashley said, smiling to herself.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't turn down the position." Lance said to her, a serious expression on his face. "We still have to make it official of course. However, before that, I have a favor to ask of our new regional champion..."

"A favor?" Ashley asked.

"Yes." Lance nodded to her. "You see...there's been some suspicious activity in Johto lately. Reports of pokemon being enslaved..."

"WHAT?!" Ashley growled and clenched her fists. "But we defeated the grand hunters!"

"True, most of them have been defeated, but you may recall that Red didn't capture the target he went after that day." Lance said to Ashley. "We believe that the one that got away could be behind the recent activity. Gary has already taken a look into some activity here in Kanto and a slave collar factory was discovered. He's been dealing with it himself, after that he will head to Johto."

"So what do you want me to do?" Ashley asked Lance.

"I want you to look into the situation in Johto. The slaving incidents have been taking place around the cities of Goldenrod and Azalea." Lance said to her. "Can I count on your assistance?"

"Like you need to ask." Ashley replied. "This time I'll make sure they're finished. Even if I can't find Galactica, I'll find that last legendary pokemon from the Johto region."

"Last legendary pokemon?" Lance asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Its one they caught before, but freed by Rina." Ashley said to him. "Its a pokemon that, if they were able to catch it, could alter the outcome of our final battle with the leader of the hunters..."

"That does sound pretty serious." Lance said, nodding in agreement. "In that case, I want you to focus on finding that pokemon."

"I will."

"Sounds like you'll be leaving again..." Catherine said sorrowfully.

"What can I say? I guess my job is just never done." Ashley said to her.

"Well, just be careful. You're going up against criminals afterall..."

"I know that." Ashley replied, offering a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. After what I've been through, something like this will be a piece of cake!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Ending the chapter there feels a bit awkward for some reason, though I didn't really plan to go any further than that. Eh...

Well, next chapter will be back to May. Maybe Melany if I can figure out what I'd have her doing in the meantime and if it'd be worth a chapter on its own. As is, the only thing I have Melany doing would be covered at the start of another chapter. Or maybe I could just have that covered in its own chapter with a bit more added prior to it. Might go with that actually. And now these notes are turning into the train of thought leading up to my next chapter, which will now probably be a Melany chapter, followed by May.

I should probably be organizing these chapters so the chapter where Ashley goes to Johto to track down the remnants of the hunters comes next, but I'm more or less organizing them by date instead. Right now I'm basically covering the day after May and Melany's "date". Feel free to let me know if you feel I should follow one plot arc after another instead and I'll go with Ashley's next chapter or two instead.


	4. Chapter 4: Miss Popularity

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company.**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Four**

**Miss Popularity**

Date: 4 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

The morning after her encounter with the paparazzi, May found herself lying in bed and thinking about what had happened.

_"Somehow I became a celebrity without even noticing..."_ She thought. _"I can understand why it happened but...what do I do about it now? "_

Having only recently woke up, May glanced over to the Torchic clock to check the time. It was 10:35 in the morning, meaning her dad would have left for the gym long ago. The clock itself was bought by her mother shortly after she had set out on across Hoenn.

_"Dad probably would have dealt with something like this before, but I wasn't able to talk to him last night and he'd be at work now."_ She sighed and then sat up on the bed. _"Mom seemed to be happy for me though..."_ May thought back for a moment. _"Come to think of it, didn't mom say last night that she had something to show me when I had the time? I guess today would be the best time then..."_

May got up out of bed and changed out of her green pajamas and into a pair of red shorts and an orange shirt. Since she was staying home for a while, she didn't want to bother with her travel outfit. Once she was dressed, she headed downstairs. Her mother was in the living room, watching a soap opera on tv. She looked up when she heard May's footsteps approaching.

"You're finally awake. I thought for sure you would end up sleeping in until noon." Her mother said to her.

"Like I would really sleep in that late." May replied, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, what did you want to show me that you couldn't last night?"

"Well, I didn't want to show you these because you wouldn't have had much time to read them last night." Her mother replied, pulling a shoe box out from under the couch. She held it out toward May. "Are you sure you wouldn't like some breakfast first?"

May blinked in confusion as she took the box from her mother. "Umm...I'll be fine, I'm sure..." She replied. "Read? What could be in this box to read that she'd want to keep from me until now?" May wondered before finally removing the lid. Inside the box were several envelopes, all addressed to her. The writing on many of them was rather atrocious, suggesting particularly young kids might have been writing them.

"What...are these?" May asked, taking out an envelope and examining it.

"Fanmail." Her mother replied casually, returning her gaze to the tv. A complex love story was playing out between a pokemon trainer and a doctor.

"FANMAIL?!" May yelled, dropping the box in shock. It landed upright without spilling any mail out.

"Yes, you've gotten quite a bit of it while you were out." Her mother said to her. "It seems a lot of children, especially girls, have taken a liking to you ever since you've become Hoenn's new champion."

May picked up the box and sat down on the couch next to her mother while she started to read through her letters. There wasn't much said in most of them, consisting of some variation of wanting to become a great trainer like her someday. She stopped reading when she came upon a surprisingly well-written letter that said she was 'hot'.

_"I get the feeling a kid didn't write this one."_ May thought, twitching slightly. She set the box down on the floor. "Why do I feel like I'm the last person in Hoenn to know how popular I am?"

"Anyone in Hoenn who hasn't been living under a rock probably knows about you now, there's even a show dedicated to digging up information about your adventures prior to and after becoming champion." Her mother glanced over at her. "You'd know this too if you hadn't been away since then."

"Ehhh?! That feels like an invasion of privacy..." May whimpered. She clenched her fists and leaned toward her mother. "Don't they need my permission before they do something like that?!"

"Your father gave the ok actually, he was curious about it as well apparently." Her mother replied.

"Dad...huh..." May hung her head in defeat.

"For the most part they've been interviewing gym leaders to get details about your battles against them." Her mother smiled at her. "Did you know you're the only trainer to conquer the Hoenn League with no losses? The closest trainer to your record is that friend of your's, Alex. He only lost to your father."

_"And then 'he' managed to battle to a draw against me while at a disadvantage." _May thought bitterly. _"Well I've settled the score now and proven that I've definitely surpassed her!"_

"Now that I think about it, you haven't told us anything about what you've been up to lately." Her mother said, peering at her curiously. "You haven't been getting into too much trouble I hope?"

May laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head. "Ahahaha! Me? Never!"

Her mother sighed. "I'll take your word for it, then." She said, turning back to the tv and taking the remote in her hand. "There's been some rumors circulating about you having been involved in that incident at Sootopolis."

_"Eh...heh...heh...thats right, they don't know about that."_ May thought, twitching nervously.

Her mother pressed a button on the remote to switch over to a news program. A weather segment was displayed at first, reporting a chance of showers for Rustboro. When the weather segment ended, it moved on to celebrity gossip. "Oh, I wonder if there will be anything about you today?" Caroline teased her daughter.

"There better not be!" May said, clenching her fists and watching the tv intently.

"According to reporters, the recently crowned Hoenn Champion May Maple was seen at the Early Swellow in Fortree City." A female reporter announced.

_"Spoke too soon..."_ May thought.

"Witness reports claim the young girl appeared to be there on a date with an older boy and claimed their behaviour in the restaurant indicated the two get along well." The report continued. "The boy remains unidentified and no photos are available of the two. Reporters claim they were assaulted by the boy's pokemon when they confronted the two at the entrance. The boy used a Magneton to erase the pictures they took before the couple fled the scene."

"C-c-c-COUPLE?! WE'RE JUST FRIENDS!" May yelled frantically at the screen.

"Ohhh...so is that where you've been all this time? With this 'friend' of your's?" Her mother asked slyly.

"Yes!" May replied without thinking, then quickly corrected herself. "I mean no! Technically yes!"

"Well I hope you two have been behaving yourselves. You don't want to make any 'mistakes' at your age." Her mother said to her.

"YOU'RE COMPLETELY MISUNDERSTANDING!" May yelled, waving her arms wildly. "We're just friends! FRIENDS! And that's it!"

"So you claim, but your face is getting awfully red." Her mother said calmly. May didn't even realize she was blushing until her mother pointed it out. She felt her cheeks become even warmer as a result.

"W-well who wouldn't be embarassed by this! The entire region thinks I have a boyfriend now!" May said to her. "There's nothing between me and Alex! I swear!"

"So that's who it is?" Her mother smiled at her. "I had a feeling you two would get together eventually."

"That...that..." May stopped herself and sighed. "Nevermind..." She said. _"It'd take forever to explain what's really been going on and who Alex really is..."_ She thought to herself.

"Don't worry, I'm only teasing you." Her mother said. "I'm sure if you really did have a boyfriend you would at least let your parent's know."

May breathed a sigh of relief and finally relaxed. "You're horrible..." She mumbled.

"Hmm...it might be bad if your father hears this though." Caroline said, thinking out loud. "He might overreact a bit, it'd be for the best if you explained what this is all about after work."

"Overreact how?" May asked her.

"Oh, he just has his own ideas about what kind of guy would be suitable for you and would concern himself with whether this boy is good enough for his daughter." Her mother said, waving her hand dismissively.

_"Note to self: Find out what dad considers 'suitable' so I'll know whether or not to keep potential future boyfriends a secret."_ May thought.

"By the way, dear, don't you think you should drop by and see Birch while you're in Littleroot?" Her mother suggested. "You ARE working on a pokedex for him, aren't you?"

"Right, I guess I should." May looked at the box of fanmail she had and shrugged to herself. "I'll read the rest of those later...I haven't even eaten anything yet!" She then thought to herself for a moment.

"Come to think of it, more of those nosey reporters might be lurking around. Maybe I should wear a disguise or something?" An image of Alex popped into May's mind and she quickly shook her head. _"No, I definitely couldn't pass for a boy like she could...not that I'd need to. I'm sure I can find something."_

May got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen while contemplating a disguise.

* * *

May got herself some breakfast, consisting of cereal and juice, setting aside her fanmail to read later. After eating she got her 'disguise' together, eventually settling on an oversized black hooded cloak, a pair of sunglasses, and a scarf. Completely concealed in her clothing, she set out from her house and headed straight toward Birch's lab.

_"I don't see any reporters around."_ May thought, looking about the quiet streets of Littleroot cautiously as she made her way to the lab. She ran into the odd passerby that'd give her a curious look before continuing on their way. _"I don't think anyone recognizes me dressed like this, though I feel kinda silly...and this coat is too hot."_

May continued along her way, glancing behind her frequently to make sure no one was following her, until she heard a voice up ahead.

"Is that you, May?" The voice startled May, causing her to jump and quickly turn around. Professor Birch's lab was in sight, less than a hundred meters away, but Professor Birch himself was standing directly in front of her.

"What on Earth are you doing dressed like that?" He asked, peering at her curiously.

"Umm...long story..." May replied sheepishly. "How did you even recognize me though?"

"Heh heh, so it is you!" Birch grinned widely and rubbed the back of his head. "You could call it intuition I suppose. And I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you're trying to hide from news reporters?"

"Heh...good guess..." May mumbled. She was a bit put off that he was reading her so easily.

"Don't worry too much about it. If they're around, they're waiting for you to do something newsworthy so they can snap a picture and quickly run off." He chuckled to himself. "With you sneaking off dressed like that and running into me, I wouldn't be too surprised if they run an article saying we're having an affair!"

May blinked in confusion. "A...what?"

"Nevermind, you'll figure it out on your own someday." Professor Birch replied. "I can certainly tell you're popular these days. I've had no less than seven trainers looking to be my assistants just because you're one!"

"Really? Did you give them all pokemon too?" May asked him.

"I would have liked to, but I haven't gotten anymore pokemon in to give away. The only pokemon I had was the Mudkip left after you and Alex came by, but that was it." Professor Birch said, then chuckled. "Anyway, why don't you stop by the lab so you don't have to wear that heavy coat and scarf?"

"Ehhh..." May peered around cautiously. "Are you sure they wouldn't just jump me there?"

"You've got nothing to worry about." He said to her then added, very quietly, "...probably."

May nodded. "Ok. I don't think you've scanned my pokedex since I've combined it with everyone else's, now that I think about it."

"We can do that while we're there too then." Birch grinned widely. "I can't wait to see what you have recorded from other regions."

Professor Birch lead May through the remaining distance to his lab and then went inside with her. Once there, he lead her to the main office where his databanks and computers were kept. Several large cabinet-like drives stored the large amount of data that Birch and his son Brendan had recorded on wild pokemon across Hoenn. The small device he used to download data from pokedexes was sitting on top of one such cabinet.

Birch took the device down off the data drive and sat it on a nearby desk, blowing the dust off it. "Geez, haven't used this thing in a while."

May finally removed her scarf and took a deep breath, then asked, "Doesn't Brendan use a pokedex to record data too?" While she waited for Birch's response, she dropped her scarf on the desk and then took off her coat and placed it on a chair.

"He only records pokemon he catches on it though. He carries a notebook for writing down what he observes wild pokemon doing or where he sees them." Birch explained to her. "Anyway, I'll need your pokedex now."

"Right." May took her pokedex out of the pocket of her shorts and handed it to Birch.

"Thanks." Professor Birch took the pokedex in his hand and quickly checked out a few pages. "Heh...these are all pretty interesting pokemon." He then paused for a moment and looked back at May. "Hmm...it's certainly strange seeing you dressed in clothes that look so...normal."

"I didn't see any point wearing my travel clothes today. They're in the wash anyway." May replied.

Birch nodded to her. "So that's how it is. Well, let's get this pokedex scanned then." He finally placed May's pokedex in the device he took out, sliding it upside down into a slot designed to fit it. Prongs at the bottom of the slot slid into the top of the pokedex and began to download the data, feeding it back to the data drive it had been sitting on top of. Despite having been collecting dust, it worked flawlessly.

"By the way, where have you been all this time anyway if you don't mind me asking?" Birch asked May.

"Err...well..." May placed her hand behind her head. "Its...a long story. We sort of created this island that people can't get to unless they have a legendary pokemon with them and almost every pokemon that could be considered legendary in the Johto, Kanto, and Hoenn regions is staying there too."

Birch stared at her and blinked several times. "To talk about something like that so casually..." He scratched his head as he thought over what May said. "When I was a kid, young trainers were lucky to even be able to get a badge or two, and yet you and your friends could potentially take over the world if you wanted."

"Hmm..." May tapped her finger against her chin, as if seriously thinking over Birch's suggestion.

"H-hey! I was just kidding!" Professor Birch said nervously. "Don't you kids go getting any ideas now!"

"Like we would!" May stifled a giggle, then continued. "The whole point of the island was to make sure no one could abuse their power for something like that." She said to him.

Birch sighed. "Well that's a relief. In only a matter of weeks you kids went from rookie trainers to beating the Elite Four on your first go, there's no telling what you'd be capable of. You've already become quite the celebrity because of your achievements."

"I've been wondering if thats a good thing or not actually..." May glanced over at the black coat she had been wearing. "I feel like my privacy is pretty much gone now, but then there's all these kids who look up to me now too..."

Birch smirked and folded his arms. "I can see what you mean. I wouldn't worry too much about the reporters, though, they'll lose interest after a while as long as you don't do anything they might think is worth reporting on."

"Its not only that though!" May said with a pleading look. "They're digging up my past now too! All the battles with the gym leaders, and how long before they dig up things like Team Magma and Team Aqua or the legendary pokemon?" May shook her head frantically. "That'd get way too much attention!"

"Team Magma and Team Aqua?" Birch eyed her curiously. "Sounds like you've been up to quite a bit..."

"Yeah..." May mumbled, looking down at the floor. "I've gotten involved in a lot of things since I left Littleroot that day..." She then thought, _"And aside from that, after what happened last night, what would they say if they ever found out I was travelling with Melany when she was disguising herself as Alex? They'd definitely make a big fuss out of that!"_

"I understand this is a lot of pressure for you all of a sudden, but isn't there someone else you should be talking to about this kind of thing?" Birch said to May.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just..." May sighed. "It's my dad that gave them permission to run that stupid show where they dig up my career as a trainer..."

"Well maybe you should go talk to him instead then?" Professor Birch suggested. "While you're in Petalburg, you could catch a few pokemon for me. I don't have any now and I'd like to be able to give some to those trainers that want to become my assistants."

May nodded affirmatively. "Sure, but I'm surprised you're taking them on so willingly."

"Well its not often I find young people so willing to take up the job!" Birch said, grinning sheepishly. "I mean, it was easy for me to rope you and Melany into it. Anyway, I'll have to give you a few of my own pokeballs for this." Professor Birch walked over to a storage cabinet on the other side of the room and rummaged through the junk and papers he had cluttering the shelves, trying to find his pokeballs.

_"Rope us into doing it?"_ May glared at Birch from behind. _"I used Torchic to save you from a wild pokemon and Melany had promised to get you information on legendary pokemon if you kept her identity a secret! If anything, YOU were forced into it!"_

"Aha!" Birch reached in deep and pulled out four premier balls. "These should do for now." he said, then walked back over to where May was and handed the pokeballs to her. "Try to get a pokemon in each one if you can. The pokemon outside Petalburg should be perfect for rookie trainers."

"Like that'll be hard." May replied as she took the premier balls in her hands. "I'll try not to weaken them too much." She added, rolling her eyes.

"Right..." Birch chuckled. "Forgot who I was talking to. Catch some good ones then."

"Don't worry, I will! Won't be gone long!" May started off out of the lab.

"May, wait!" Birch called out to her just before she reached the office door. She stopped and looked back at him. "Don't you want your coat?"

"Don't need it!" May replied, then opened the door and left. Birch chuckled to himself and shook his head.

"Looks like she'll get along just fine."

* * *

"Makuhita, let's finish this now while Slaking's guard is down! Focus Punch!" A young male trainer ordered his Makuhita. The yellow sumo wrestler-like pokemon charged across the gym, holding its fist back and gathering energy for the attack. The opponent, a Slaking, was lazing around after having finished off the trainer's previous pokemon. Makuhita slammed its fist into the Slaking's stomach, delivering a powerful punch. The attack only got a grunt out of Slaking as it easily endured the hit.

"Good effort, but it will take much more than a mere Focus Punch to defeat my Slaking." Norman said to the trainer challenging him for the Balance Badge. "Now, I am afraid this battle ends here. Slaking, use Facade."

Slaking stood up, towering over the smaller fighting pokemon. It roared and pounded its chest, drawing out power. An orange glow surrounded it briefly, but quickly faded. Without any negative status effects, Slaking couldn't maintain the power boost. It then hit Makuhita with its fist, striking with enough force to knock Makuhita across the gym despite the relatively low power. Makuhita was weakened from previous fights with Norman's pokemon as well, however, and was unable to get up after taking the hit. The trainer was forced to recall his pokemon.

"Man...I thought I'd finally win with that new move too!" The trainer grumbled, snapping his fingers.

"Perhaps you should continue training with that technique." Norman said to him. "However, you also shouldn't rely on a single technique to win the match for you." He then cautioned him. "Have other options ready incase your strategy fails."

"Heh heh...right...guess I'll try that then." The boy turned to leave, but then remembered he had something to ask Norman and stopped. "Oh! Uh..." The boy scratched the back of his head as he worked up his courage. "I...saw that news report earlier. Is it true your daughter was dating someone in Fortree last night?"

"Dating someone in Fortree?" Norman narrowed his eyes. "This is the first I've heard of it." It didn't take Norman long to realize that it might be true, he knew May had been out somewhere the night before and then suddenly came home after.

"Ah...well...I figured there's probably nothing to it anyway!" The boy replied with a nervous laugh. "I mean, they've been saying things like he's a ninja and that he supposedly destroyed the photographs they had to prove it! They're obviously just making it up!"

"And why are you so interested in this?" Norman asked him. His Slaking, still out of its pokeball, snorted at him as well. The boy felt as if both their gazes were piercing through him.

"N-no reason! No reason at all!" The boy replied, slowly backing toward the door. "I...I need to go train now! See ya!" He quickly turned around and threw the doors open, then fled the gym.

"Hmph. As if I couldn't tell why he was interested." Norman shook his head. "It can't be helped I guess. With May as popular as she is after defeating the Elite Four I'm sure there will be no shortage of boys with their eyes on her." Norman sighed. "You know, Slaking, sometimes I wish I had a son instead. Then I'd only have one 'prick' to worry about."

Slaking let out a lazy yawn and scratched at its side before muttering in response. "-Just keep her locked up in her room until she's 16 I say.-"

"In any case, I can't let just any guy date my daughter." Norman said gruffly. "I won't allow any boy near her that can't best us both. He needs to not only be a strong trainer, but able to fend for himself."

Slaking snickered. "-Like any human child May's age could beat you. Maybe if they were sixteen they'd stand a chance.-"

Norman let out a 'hmph' and turned to head into his office. "I have a fairly good idea of who would be dating her right now, if anyone. I'll call him and find out for myself. Alex may have earned the Balance Badge, but he still has to go through me!"

"-Alex...Alex...he the one with the Skarmory I knocked out? I don't think we can count that.-" Slaking shrugged and flopped back on the gym floor. "-Whatever. Your call. I'm officially on break now.-" Norman said nothing else as he went into his office to make the call. Slaking thought back, recalling what Alex looked like during their brief encounter.

"-Huh...that scrawny kid?-" Slaking snorted. "-Norman will end up breaking every bone in that kid's body.-"

* * *

Author's Notes: There's an unwritten law in the universe that if a main character gets hurt, it will be Melany. The universe holds some kind of grudge against her it seems.

Was going to have Melany's chapter first, but decided Melany's chapter could tie into the end of this chapter easily enough rather than the other way around. This one turned out pretty short though, but not a whole lot happened either. Starting with the next chapter, though, there should be a lot more going on. This chapter was still important, though, as May starts to realize just how famous she really is.


	5. Chapter 5: New Toys

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company.**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Five**

**New Toys**

Date: 4 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Back on Sanctuary Island, after Ashley and Rina had left, Melany had left the headquarters to start her daily training. The twin blue and red dragons, Latios and Latias, joined her shortly after she stepped outside, with Latios forcefully dragging Latias along with him. The disaster and dark-type pokemon Absol soon joined them as well.

_"Do...do I really have to do this?"_ Latias asked, nervously eying the Absol standing nearby.

"We've been over this before. Relying on your power as a legendary pokemon will only get you so far in battle." Melany said to Latias. "And without the Soul Dew, you're offensively weaker than your brother anyway. You're better on the defensive side, and that means enduring frequent hits."

_"She's right, you know."_ Latios said to Latias. _"You can't start whining everytime you get hit in battle."_

_"EVEN MY OWN BROTHER APPROVES MY TORTURE?!"_ Latias shrieked, flailing her tiny arms.

"It's called training." Melany said to her.

_"And the Soul Dew agrees."_ Latios added, nodding. _"You need to be ready for a possible fight, which, again, means you can't be whining everytime you get hit in battle."_

_"But...but this is different!"_ Latias whined, pointing frantically at Absol. _"That's a dark-type pokemon! His attacks will really really hurt!"_

"-Heh heh. Don't worry, I'll be gentle.-" Absol said, grinning. The image of her human form floated through his head.

_"Also, there's something really really creepy about this guy!"_ Latias added, pleading with Melany.

Melany shrugged. "I'm well aware that Absol is a bit unusual." She replied. "Strange that a 'disaster pokemon' seems to have such a fondness for human girls, let alone a pokemon having such an interest at all, but his battle capabilities are still top notch and its not like you're actually a human."

"-So what if I like getting attention from human girls?-" Absol said in a rather prudish pose. "-You're just upset that I tried to kill you because I thought you were a guy. There's plenty of girls on this island anyway!-" Absol hung its head sadly. "-Most days...-"

"In any case, let's make this quick." Melany said impatiently. "I want to try out a few new techniques with Absol and get your training over with before I head to Devon to pick up the pokenavs."

"New techniques?" Latios asked curiously. "You've had this pokemon for a while, don't you know all of its techniques by now?"

"You would think that, but it seems many of our pokemon have techniques that weren't showing up in our pokedexes." Melany replied. "This will be my first time seeing this technique used on another pokemon." She looked toward Absol. "Absol, let's see what this technique can do. Attack with Night Slash."

"Ehh?! What kind of move is that?!" Latias shrieked fearfully, bracing for the worst.

"-Night Slash...how did that one go again?-" Absol thought for a moment and then nodded to himself. He watched Latias closely for a moment, an unnecessary effort as she wasn't moving at all. There was a glint in his eye as he spotted the perfect moment to attack, charging toward her. He slashed across the underside of her body, near her left wing, with a wave of dark energy trailing behind him. Latias cried out and dropped to the ground, writhing in pain.

_"Owowowowowow! That one really hurt!"_ Latias whined. _"Why did it have to hit me there?!"_

"Hit the weak point on the first try...interesting." Melany noted thoughtfully. "That would seem to indicate an attack with a higher than usual frequency for striking weak points. Or maybe Absol just has an affinity for doing that." Melany shrugged. "Or both. Whatever. Either way, Latias, this training will keep up until even an attack like that doesn't result in you crying like a baby."

"You...you meany!" Latias slowly floated off the ground and turned to face Absol. Absol looked back at her questioningly. "Let's see how you like it!" Latias opened her mouth and began to form a bluish orb. At first, Melany thought she would use Mist Ball, an attack that would have no effect on Absol.

To Melany's utter surprise, Latias wouldn't even get to finish the attack. Even before Latias started the attack, as soon as she even made her intent clear, Absol started to form the very same attack and beat her to the punch. The orb formed in Absol's mouth and fired out in an almot mist-like blast of energy at Latias. Latias cried out in pain as the attack struck her, caught completely off guard and was in a daze when she hit the ground as a result.

"What was...how did Absol..." Melany stuttered in disbelief. She scratched her head as she tried to figure it out. "I thought that was Mist Ball Latias was using, but Absol definitely used the same attack. It looked like some kind of dragon-type attack, but Absol doesn't even know any dragon-type attacks." Melany hummed and tapped her index finger against her chin. "Strange but...its as if Absol was able to copy the technique and attack before Latias."

"-Well I certainly wasn't going to stand here and take it.-" Absol said with a shrug. "-Though I do feel sorry for her now.-"

"Well in any case, how about looking after her, Latios?" Melany asked. "I'll take one of the Regi's with me and head into Hoenn on Skarmory."

_"Of course."_ Latios replied with a nod. _"She is my sister afterall."_ Melany nodded to him and then went back into the headquarters. Absol watched her for a moment, feeling a strange sensation through its body.

"-I'm getting one of those funny feelings right now.-" Absol said in a more serious tone than usual. "-I think Melany's going to run into a few 'disasters' before today is through.-"

* * *

The inside of the Sanctuary headquarters could be considered spartan at best, with very few furnishings. The wood that made up the walls and floors was varnished, but that was about it. No flooring or carpeting in sight. It was only thanks to Alakazam that the building was as well constructed as it was. Alakazam became an expert in construction after less than half an hour of considering the construction materials at hand.

The building was made up of five rooms in total. An upper level housed a large bedroom with four separate cots, making for rather uncomfortable living arrangements. There was also a walk-in closet which had to be shared between the four girls as well. The only other rooms on the upper level, which happened to be some of the few rooms with tile flooring, were two bathrooms. Ashley and May insisted on having two.

The lower level of the building was larger by comparison, housing a kitchen/dining area, a computer room, power plant, laundry and water storage room, and supply storage. The laundry and water room was the only other room with tile flooring. Aside from the washer and dryer, it housed a large water tank with special equipment that allowed it to pump water directly from the ocean and make it safe to drink. The computer room contained a typical computer one would see in a pokecenter, only with a transport pad that was connected outside the building.

The kitchen and dining area was easily the most normal and liveable looking area of the building. There was the usual sink, oven, fridge, a deep freeze, and four cupboards lining the walls over the sink and counters next to it. A wooden table sat nearby with four chairs. All of the appliances in the kitchen were powered by a generator in the 'power plant', a barren room that housed only the generator. The generator was usually recharged by the girls' various electric pokemon. Finally, the supply room was just that. A room where food and other necessary supplies were stored.

"You know, if we didn't need so much special equipment here, I could have made this place much nicer." Melany said to herself. "On the other hand, if I was on better terms with my father right now, I could probably do both." She looked around the kitchen, noting to herself that, if nothing else, it could at least use some curtains over the windows. Her backpack, already packed for her brief trip, was sitting on the table.

"Maybe I'll pick some up in Rustboro. Or maybe a carpet or something." She glanced at her backpack out of the corner of her eye. "I'll get rid of that stupid 'Alex' disguise for good too after I pick up the pokenavs." Feeling something prodding at her mind, she looked toward one of the cupboards. She already knew what was in there, of course. There were few other places to store them. She wanted a wall safe for them, even though that seemed somewhat excessive.

Melany rolled her eyes. _"Wonder what she wants this time."_ She made her way over to the cupboard and opened it. The bottom of the cupboard was filled with cereal boxes, but the top shelf was being used to store the three crystals and the Soul Dew.

_"You better not be thinking of leaving us here!"_ The voice of Odari, whose spirit resided in the Emerald, said in Melany's mind. The emerald glowed brightly as well, as if trying to get Melany's attention.

"Well, the thought never exactly occurred to me to take the crystals with me." Melany said to her.

_"And what if Kyogre or Groudon try to take the power of the Sapphire or Ruby while you're gone? What would you do then?"_

"Of those two, only Groudon could even get near this building. Kyogre's stuck in its little lake pretty much." Melany said, slightly annoyed by Odari's paranoia. "And even if they both managed to get that power, the sheer number of pokemon on this island would easily overwhelm them and allow for Rayquaza to ward them off. So I find your concern, as usual, completely unwarranted."

_"Why you little b-"_ Melany slammed the cupboard door and moved away until she couldn't hear Odari's complaining anymore. She stopped in front of the table and shook her head.

"Ancient pokemon, I can handle. Ancient humans? Not so much." Melany grabbed her backpack off the table and slung it over her shoulders. "Sometimes I wish I could just fire those things straight to the moon and be done with it. Maybe Steven could help me with that..." Melany headed toward the door, ready to take off for Rustboro, wondering if there was any chance she'd run into her brother to discuss such a prospect.

_"I swear that girl has no respect for her elders!"_ Odari said, venting to the other three crystals.

_"This is the same girl that used the Ruby as a bargaining chip to tame Groudon, of course she won't listen to reason."_ Aisha, spirit of the Ruby said. She was equally frustrated with Melany's actions, and for good reason.

_"At least she handled that on her own!"_ Haruka, spirit of the Sapphire, cut in. _"She sent her Alakazam off alone with the Sapphire to fight Kyogre with the same deal, and with only one other pokemon at that!"_

_"You probably had the better deal, her Alakazam is far more intelligent than she is."_ Odari said to Haruka.

_"That is quite enough."_ said the Soul Dew, an even older gem from which the Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire were born. _"While your concern for her treatment of the crystals is certainly valid, she is in the right this time. Kyogre poses no threat, and Groudon would easily be overwhelmed and subdued by the pokemon on this island."_

_"But..."_

_"Further, Groudon and Kyogre have shown little interest in quarreling since arriving on this island."_ The Soul Dew continued, interrupting Odari. _"Those four girls have performed an amazing feat in creating a safe haven for legendary pokemon, as I knew they would. Though they lack your wisdom, I believe it is time you conceded to have a little more faith in them."_

The three spirits of the crystals fell silent. The Soul Dew's words rang true, leaving the spirits without any response.

* * *

It was almost noon by the time Melany reached Rustboro. Even with the help of its Agility technique it still took her Skarmory a few hours to get there. They landed directly in front of the Devon Corporation main building and Melany immediately recalled Skarmory and went inside.

"Hmm...last time I was in here would have been when I got that upgrade for Porygon.." Melany thought, looking around the reception area. Seeing that there was no one else waiting to get in, she went straight for the reception desk.

"Excuse me, I'm here to pick up some pokenavs." Melany said to the receptionist. The receptionist, a girl May figured to be no older than sixteen, looked annoyed that suddenly she was expected to do her job.

"Couldn't you, like, pick them up in a store?"

Melany narrowed her eyes at her. "My name is Melany Stone, I have an appointment to pick them up." Melany said firmly. _"Just how desparate for a new receptionist were they?"_

The girl let out a very audible groan as she was forced to sit up and actually use the computer that was sitting in front of her. "Floor three, R&D department."

"Now was that so hard?" Melany said, then headed for the elevator while ignoring the glare the receptionist was giving her.

"R&D Department huh?" Melany winced and shuddered. _"Lot of bad memories there. Like the time they had me test the trainer-issue pogo sticks they were developing. Definitely not getting roped into doing any testing for them this time."_

Melany entered the floor number into the elevator's panel. The elevator lurched and whirred to life, quickly moving to the designated floor. The doors opened and Melany steped out. She was immediately greeted by an older man in a lab coat. Melany immediately recognized him as Samuel, the researcher that ran the revitalization machine for her and May one time.

"We've been waiting for you, Melany! You're here to pick up the Version 3 Pokenavs, right?" Samuel said to her.

"Right. Here to get the pokenavs and leave."

"What's the rush?" Samuel grinned. "It's been a while since you've helped out with any research!"

"That would be because the last piece of trainer equipment you had me testing that wasn't a pokenav exploded on me." Melany replied bitterly. "How your team managed to make a portable berry juice maker even capable of exploding is more mysterious than any legendary pokemon I've encountered since."

"Oh, we're not testing anything like that! This time it's just a pair of running shoes!" Samuel said reassuringly. "We'll even let you keep them after they've been calibrated."

"Running shoes...?" Melany thought for a moment and looked down at her own running shoes, the same pair she had been wearing since she first set out as a trainer. They were pretty worn. _"Guess I could use a new pair..."_

"Fine. I'll test your shoes for you." Melany said to Samuel. "But I will be leaving with the new pokenavs immediately after."

Samuel looked surprised by Melany's last statement and raised an eyebrow at her. "You're not going to visit your father or mother first? You don't seem to talk with them much these days."

"Funny, I didn't think I talked to them any less than I used to." Melany muttered in response. "Just bring me those running shoes."

"Alright, follow me then."

Samuel lead Melany into the main area of the R&D department, which largely consisted of a single large room. Computers were lined up in rows and several prototypes of devices intended to be marketed toward trainers were scattered about. Most of the researchers paid little attention to Samuel and Melany as they passed by, far too engrossed in their own work either typing away at a computer or tinkering with a prototype. He eventually lead her to the other side of the room, past the last row of computers, where three other researchers waited.

"These are our prototype running shoes." Samuel said, gesturing toward a desk set up against the wall. Various tools, wires, and other parts were also laid out on the table. As were four Version 3 Pokenavs, still in their packaging. "Conveniently, they should be just your side."

"Yeah, funny how that worked out. And you have them ready the same day I'd be here to boot. This doesn't at all seem like it could have been planned in advance." Melany said dryly and rolled her eyes. She walked over to the table and picked up the pair of shoes, holding them together with one hand, then stopped and looked at the rest of the tools and supplies spread out on the table.

_"Somehow I get the feeling I should be more suspicious of these shoes then I am. There's no way all those wires and circuitry, nor the tools to use them, are necessary for making a pair of running shoes."_ She finally decided to examine the pair of shoes she was holding, turning them over to look at the bottom. All along the bottom of the shoes were what appeared to be tiny air holes, with a slot at the front and back of the shoes. They were also slightly larger then most shoes, their overall appearance being closer to a pair of rollerblades without wheels. Melany assumed there was a small air pump or two concealed in the frame.

Now aware of just what kind of shoes she was actually testing, she cast a suspicious look at Samuel. "Ok, spill. What are these supposed to do?"

Samuel grimaced. "I guess nothing gets by you." He said, letting out a sigh. "Ok, you've got me. The shoes are more like hover shoes, only you can't really hover with them. To use them, you press the back." Samuel pointed to a red spot on the back of the shoes, above the intake slot. "To actually run in them is more like skating, only they'll work on any terrain."

"...Sound harmless enough. Then again, berry juicer. Hmm." Melany glanced over at the pokenavs, debating whether she should just grab them and run. In the end, though, she gave in and decided to test out the running shoes. She dropped them onto the floor and kicked off her own shoes and put on the running shoes. To her surprise, they actually felt fairly comfortable.

"You know, calling them 'running shoes' doesn't seem right since you don't actually run in them." Melany said to Samuel.

"We're thinking of calling them glide shoes, actually." A female researcher said.

"Thats better I guess." Melany mumbled under her breath. She then turned to face the side wall of the room. She would have a short area to run across in the space between the last row of computers and the wall. "Well, might as well get this over with."

Melany bent down and pressed the buttons on the back of her shoes, taking note that they were labelled "B" for some unknown reason. A quiet, vacuum-like sound emitted from the bottom of the shoes. She stood back up and tried moving her feet a bit, experimenting with the movements, but her feet quickly slid out from under her and sent her crashing down onto her back. The four researchers snickered at her. The fall knocked the wind out of her briefly, leaving her unable to say anything to them.

_"I have a feeling this is going to get worse before it gets better."_ Melany thought to herself. She sat up and looked at the shoes, which were still active. She contemplated how to best get back on her feet without tripping again and eventually thought to use the wall for support as she stood back up. She carefully planted her feet on the floor, leaning with her back to the wall while she tried to steady herself.

"When you..." Melany took several deep breaths, finding herself still winded from the fall. "When you decided to have me test these, did you take into account that I've never skated before in my life?" she asked the researchers.

"We had no idea, Ms. Stone." One of them replied.

"Figures." Melany muttered to herself. Still leaning on the wall, she tried moving her feet again, getting used to the feeling of them sliding along the floor as if she were standing on air. "Before I even try to move I should get used to these shoes, and then..." Melany slowly pushed herself off from the while and stood up straight. She slide across the floor a few inches.

"Heh, this isn't so hard." She said confidently.

"You say that, but you've only now gotten the hang of even standing up." Samuel said to her, holding his hand over his mouth to hide his grin.

"Hey! You can't expect me to just instantly master these things!"

"Would you like someone to hold your hand then?" another researcher asked her. The group of them laughed.

Melany glared at them and thought to herself, _"First thing I'm doing when I figure these things out is kicking each and every one of them." _Melany tried moving her feet again, slowly pushing one foot in front of another. She quickly realized that moving so slowly had a tendency to push the stationary foot backwards. Moving at a quicker pace, she managed to take a few unsteady steps forward.

_"Ok, I get it now."_ She thought. _"If I move too slowly, then when I put one foot forward my weight pushes my other foot back. To make any progress, my movements have to be quick..."_ Melany took several more strides forward, soon settling into a pattern that seemed to work to keep her moving forward. While doing so, her eyes were glued to her feet. She didn't see the wall she was quickly approaching and crashed head first into it as a result, then fell onto her back again. The group of researchers burst out laughing.

_"That's right, laugh it up."_ Melany thought, glaring at them as she sat up again. _"Jerks." _Melany slowly stood up, bracing herself against the wall again. "On the bright side, they're not exploding or showing any sign of defects. The downside, though, is that means the problem in this case is the user..."

Melany sighed to herself and pushed off from the wall again, slowly making her way back to the desk the 'running shoes' developers were standing around. This time she paid attention both to her feet and to where she was going. It didn't help much in the end, though, as she made a startling realization. She didn't know how to stop! She tried to move backwards in an attempt to keep from crashing into the researchers, an attempt that sent her crashing to the floor instead. Everyone laughed at her again.

"Melany, perhaps you..." Samuel covered his mouth to stifle his laughter until he calmed down enough to speak. "You should try stopping like they're a pair of skates. Turn your feet to the side."

"I'll keep that in mind..." Melany muttered, rubbing her sore head. Before she could stand up again, she heard her pokenav ringing and took it out. _"Who could that be now?"_ she wondered. She took her pokenav out, the same one that still held her Porygon inside, and pressed the button to activate the phone. Before she could answer it, she heard a voice from the other end.

"Is this Alex?"

Melany immediately recognized the voice as Norman, May's father and gym leader of Petalburg. _"Norman...did he get this number from May? And doesn't he know who Alex really is?"_ Melany looked at the researchers and quickly scooted away to take the call. _"Better keep up the charade for now I guess..."_

"Norman? How did you get this number?" Melany asked.

"That's not important." Norman replied gruffly. "There is something we need to discuss, man to man. I would like you to drop by my gym."

Melany cringed. _"I have a feeling I know what this is about."_ she thought. "Alright...I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Good. I'll be waiting." Norman said, then hung up on her.

"Looks like I'll have to get changed and head to Petalburg then. What a coincidence that I happen to have my old disguise with me." Melany thought, rolling her eyes. She braced herself against the nearby wall again as she carefully stood up and turned to face the Samuel and the other three researchers.

"Well, looks like I'll have to cut this short. I'm needed elsewhere." She said to them.

"Oh that's fine, it'd be best if you tested those shoes out in the open anyway." Samuel said. He then picked up the four pokenavs off the table, taking two in each hand, and handed them to Melany. "Here you are, the pokenavs you ordered. Though its strange that the daughter of the company's president would have to purchase them..."

"It wouldn't feel right to get them for free, especially since I've pretty much moved out now as it is." Melany took the four packaged pokenavs and placed them in her backpack. She decided to carry her old shoes in her backpack as well, choosing to keep the air-powered gliding shoes on instead.

"I won't press you for the details then." Samuel said to her. "Good luck on your way out."

"Thanks." Melany replied, then started on her way toward the elevator, nearly tripping shortly after she started moving. _"At the rate I'm going, I'll need all the luck I can get..."_

* * *

May sighed, looking at the white and green pokemon that stood before her. "Another Ralts..." She said under her breath. The pokemon, sensitive to May's feelings, backed away slightly when it felt her annoyance with it.

"It's not that I don't want to catch a Ralts for someone to take as a starting pokemon." she thought, "But counting the one I caught for Wally that time, and the one I caught for myself, this marks the fourth Ralts I've run into outside Petalburg." She scratched the back of her head and sighed again. "Do I just attract Ralts or something? I guess I'll catch it anyway though, that'll mark the fourth pokemon I need to catch."

May turned and nodded to her Blaziken, which was standing nearby with its arms folded and carefully examining the wild Ralts. "Ok, Blaziken, you know what to do. Weaken it with a Fire Punch, but go easy on it." Blaziken nodded and unfolded its arms, then quietly approached the wild Ralts.

"-Nothing personal, little guy. Perhaps you will find a trainer as kind as May to take care of you.-" Blaziken drew its right hand back and focused, surrounding it in flames. He thrust it toward Ralts, as if about to punch it. Ralts closed its eyes and braced itself, but Blaziken stopped before hitting it. Instead, Blaziken finger-flicked the Ralts in the forehead. Ralts cried out and staggered back, clutching its head in pain.

"Guess that'll do." May took one of the premier balls Birch gave to her in her hand and threw it at the wild Ralts. The white ball bounced off Ralts' head, knocking it over, then split open and fired a red beam at Ralts. Ralts turned into energy and was pulled into the premier ball, then sealed inside. The ball began to shake on the ground as Ralts tried to break free, then locked shut with a click.

_"I could go full power and just knock it out, but that seems cruel somehow."_ May thought as she bent down to pick up the pokeball. "Well, that's it for now then. Let's stop by the pokecenter before we visit dad." Blaziken nodded to her. May then recalled Blaziken and went straight to the pokecenter. She didn't notice that, at the same time, Melany had arrived at her father's gym disguised as Alex...

* * *

"Damn it I hate these shoes!" Melany yelled in frustration, picking herself up off the ground in front of Norman's gym. She tried to stop in front of the door, but failed to get it right and fell. She quickly dusted off her clothes, now the green shirt, hat, brown vest, and blue jeans she always wore as Alex. She then reached down and clicked the 'B' button on each shoe, turning them off.

"No need to have them on if I'm just going into the gym, else I'll just trip all over the place." She said to herself. She then lifted each foot one at a time, testing the weight of the shoes. "Well, definitely couldn't run very fast in these things with them off at any rate." She sighed and looked up at the door in front of her. "Well, let's get this over with..."

Melany opened the gym doors and stepped inside. Norman was alone on the opposite side of the gym, waiting for her. Or rather, waiting for Alex.

"Alex...do you know why I called you here?" Norman asked her.

"I think I have a fairly good idea, yeah." Melany replied with a nod. "This is about me dating your daughter, right?"

"That it is." Norman narrowed his eyes at her. "Alex, I will only allow a boy to date my daughter if I think he is strong enough to protect her."

_"Protect her?"_ Melany thought, trying to maintain her composure despite the shock of such a statement. _"May is probably the last girl in Hoenn that needs someone protecting her! The poor guy dating her should be more worried about being strong enough to endure the relationship if anything!"_

"Though you may be a strong trainer," Norman continued, "I very much doubt you have much strength of your own. If you wish to continue dating her..." Norman stepped into the area of the gym marked off for pokemon battles. "Then you must prove your strength against me!"

_"WHAT KIND OF TWELVE YEAR OLD HAS THAT STRENGTH?!"_ Melany screamed in her mind. She stepped back, holding her hands in front of her defensively. "N-now hold on! What if I don't want to keep dating her?!"

"Hmph! You would dare upset my daughter by giving up without even trying?!" Norman said, glaring back at her. "If that is your choice, young man, then you still will not leave this gym without fighting me!"

"I...I see..." Melany whimpered quietly. _"Why does May have to have such an overprotective dad? If I survive this, then forget girls too! I'm staying single!" _

Melany sighed and removed her backpack, placing it on the floorShe then stepped out onto the battlefield and tried her best to at least put on a brave face, balling her hands into fists. "Have it your way then, let's just get this over with!"

Norman smirked. "Now that's more like it."

The two trainers clenched their fists, preparing themselves for battle, but neither moved. They remained stationary on their respective sides of the battlefield, staring each other down, until finally Norman spoke up.

"Aren't you going to attack then?" Norman asked Melany.

"Funny, I was waiting for you to make the first move."

"Hmph. Very well. Let's see what you can do!" Norman took off running across the gym, seemingly discarding his own personal safety to get the first hit on Melany. Melany watched his movements carefully, bracing herself to make a counter attack.

_"Ok, all I have to do is watch his movements, anticipate his attack, and..."_ Norman finally closed in and made a punch at Melany with his right fist, aiming for the side of her head. Melany ducked under it and struck back, punching Norman in the stomach with all the strength she could muster. The two of them remained in that position for several moments, as if Melany's attack had stunned Norman, however...

"I hope that wasn't your best." Norman said gruffly, sounding as though he was hardly phazed by the punch to his gut.

"Wh-what?!" Melany staggered back in shock, moving out from under Norman. "But...I put everything I had into that punch!"

"That's it? Hmph." Norman shook his head in disappointment. "You hit like a girl."

_"I don't know, I know a girl that can hit pretty damn hard."_ Melany thought, glaring back at him.

"For your sake I hope you can take better than you can give!" Norman quickly thrust his fist into Melany's gut, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to double over in pain. He then brought his elbow down on the back of her head, smashing her into the floor. The double blow left Melany in a daze, and in a lot of pain.

"Had enough?" Norman asked her, standing back. Melany could only manage a groan in response. Norman smirked. "Of course. You're about six years too early to be facing me, kid."

_"If I knew something like this would happen...I wouldn't have turned down those self-defense lessons as a kid."_ Melany thought. She tried to ignore the pain to pull herself up off the floor, but could barely move. _"Damn it...all this for a misunderstanding."_ Realizing this, she blinked several times and cursed herself under her breath. _"I really should have just said something instead of allowing myself to be dragged into a fight with Norman...I'm supposed to be the smart one, damn it!"_

"Face it, Alex, you're far too weak to be dating my daughter." Norman said, then turned to walk away. With his back turned, Melany covertly turned her shoes on and took her old pokenav in her hand.

"It's ok if I'm weak..." Melany muttered as she slowly struggled to get back on her feet, being very careful not to fall with her shoes active. "I always knew I wasn't very strong...don't have much endurance either..." Melany clutched her stomach with one hand as she finally stood up. Norman turned around again and gave her a curious look. "I've always relied on using my head to get by, Norman. Even if I can't take you in a straight up fight, I'll think of a way to overcome you with the strength I have!"

"Brave words." Norman said, sounding only mildly interested. "How do you plan to pull that off though?"

"Like this!" Melany stood almost sideways, drawing both hands back and cupping them at an angle that hid the pokenav she was holding from Norman's sight.

Meanwhile, the main doors of the gym suddenly opened and May stepped through. She didn't notice the two at first as she stepped in. "Dad, I hope you're not too busy, I..."

Melany was too focused to notice May enter the gym and cut her off as she yelled out, "HADOKEN!" Melany thrust her hands forward, firing what appeared to be a blue energy beam at Norman. May finally saw what was going on and her jaw dropped at the sight of Melany, disguised as Alex, seemingly firing an energy beam at her father. Norman was surprised at first as well, but quickly shook it off and crossed his arms in front of him defensively. Before the beam reached him it suddenly stopped and materialized into a Porygon, version 2.

"A...pokemon?" Norman mumbled in disbelief. The Porygon put on a silly grin. "But then..."

"Focus..." Norman looked past the Porygon in time to see Melany gliding across the gym floor, one fist raised back. As she neared him, she brought her fist forward, timing it to put her speed into the attack as well. "PAWNCH!" Norman grunted in pain as Melany punched him in the stomach, the force of the strike throwing Norman onto his back and knocking the wind out of him just as he had done to Melany before.

"WHAT. THE. HELL. ARE. YOU. DOING?!" May yelled, punctuating each word. Melany shuddered, feeling the rage in May's voice.

_"She...she would show up right at this moment wouldn't she..."_ Melany slowly turned around and saw a look on May's face that would frighten a Salamence. The girl was pointing a finger accusingly at her.

"Why are you attacking my father and when the hell did you learn to use Focus Punch? THAT'S A POKEMON TECHNIQUE!"

"W-well obviously it wasn't actually a Focus Punch..." Melany admitted sheepishly. She didn't even know why she suddenly yelled those things.

"It will take more than that...to keep me down..." Norman said under his breath as he stood back up again. Norman took the blow better than Melany thought to be getting back on his feet so quickly. "May, Alex may be a strong trainer, but I cannot allow you to date him. Your boyfriend should be..."

"ALEX IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" May yelled, cutting him off. She furiously stomped toward Melany and tore off her hat. "She's not even a boy!"

With Melany's hat off, though her sex was still somewhat ambiguous with her hair falling down around her head, Norman now knew she was really a girl. Though who she was specifically still didn't click in.

"Err...hey..." Melany grinned sheepishly at Norman.

"I see...so all this time Alex was really a girl..." Norman looked at May. "And you knew of this?" May nodded to him, and Norman let out a sigh. "I see..." Norman walked past May and Melany, heading toward the door without once looking back. "I will be closing the gym for the day, May, it seems your mother and I have something to discuss..." He then left the gym without saying another word.

"What...was that all about?" May wondered aloud.

"Well...Norman knew we were on a date last night." Melany said to her. "That's why he called me here, thinking we were dating now, only with me being Alex."

"...So what does that have to do with it?" May asked, clueless.

"...He knows I'm a girl now."

"And?"

"And he knows you knew I was a girl." May stared at her blankly and Melany let out a sigh. "He thinks you're a lesbian, that you're interested in girls instead of boys."

"...You know, I would have cleared this all up if you hadn't shown up." May said bitterly, folding her arms over her chest. "I'd hit you if you didn't already look beat up."

"...I probably could have cleared it up too if not for a momentary lapse in judgement." Melany replied, rubbing the back of her head. "I think I took one hit to the head too many..."

"So...how much of that fight did I miss anyway?" May asked, morbidly curious.

"Let's see..." Melany thought back for a moment. "Well, first was my pathetic attempt to make the opening move. Then he punched me in the gut and elbowed me into the floor. Think that was about it."

"That's it?" May asked, blinking in surprise. Looking Melany over, she could see she was covered in dirt and her arms were bruised a bit. "You look like you went through more than that..."

"It's because of these shoes I'm trying out." Melany turned her shoes off and stood up. "They're hover shoes...sort of. Something like that anyway. I keep tripping in them, but I'm getting better." Melany shrugged. "Anyway, aren't you going to chase after your father and explain what really happened last night?"

"Well...I guess I would have time if he's closing the gym for the day." May replied with a sigh. "I'm not too worried about it though, I know they'll listen once I finally get the chance to sit down and talk to them. Why did you come all the way here from the Sanctuary anyway?"

"Oh, that." Melany pointed at her backpack on the other side of the gym. "I had to pick up the new pokenavs. They've got all the latest features, even some my old pokenav didn't have, and even have a built-in pokedex of their own and the latest sensors for scanning pokemon. Might even be some new data on them too, like attacks we didn't know about."

"Huh...well that sounds useful." May said, regarding the bag curiously.

"Yeah, just let me get one for you." Melany moved her feet forward as if trying to slide, forgetting for a moment that her shoes were now off. She stumbled forward, crashing into May and sending both girls tumbling to the floor.

"Damn it, even without the shoes on..." Melany grumbled under her breath. "At least I landed on...something...soft..." Melany slowly sat up as she came to the realization of just where she landed. May was lying on the floor under Melany, glaring back at her. Melany backed away very quickly, moving backwards across the floor.

"S-sorry! I didn't try that! Honest!" Melany pleaded. She put her hands up defensively as May stood up.

"Just get me that pokenav so I can go already." May said bitterly, her face red from embarassment. "And for the record, if you really were a boy, I would have smashed your face in for that!" she added, shaking her fist at Melany threateningly.

"...So glad to be a girl for once." Melany mumbled to herself. She then walked across the gym, taking note to actually lift her feet this time, and retrieved one of the version 3 pokenavs out of her bag to hand to Melany. May left the gym in a hurry after that, eager to get away from Melany at this point.

_"Guess I should be going too."_ Melany thought, picking up her backpack. Staring at the gym door, she folded her arms over her chest and thought deeply. _"I feel like I'm forgetting something though..."_

"-Alert: Unit PORYGON2 feeling forgotten!-" Porygon said in a series of disheartened beeps and whistles, which went unheard by Melany. "-Unit would now commence downloading sad songs from the internet...but no connection available.-"

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, lots of stuff happened this time around. Briefly showed some 4th gen moves (wonder if anyone recognized Latias and Absol's attacks, aside from Night Slash?), crystals made a brief appearance (originally their only apearance in the sidestories was going to be to be launched to the moon), new all purpose pokenavs for everyone, Melany endures a lot of pain, and then forgets that Pokemon is an RPG and not an arcade fighting game.

Was this close to just using "Falcon Punch" instead of "Focus Punch", but Falcon Punch seemed like it'd be pushing it. Either way I went kinda silly with this chapter, and I've still got at least one more like it somewhere down the road...

Well! Next chapter is back to Ashley. Then Rina. Then something completely different!


	6. Chapter 6: Time and Time Again

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company.**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Six**

**Time and Time Again**

Date: 5 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

From in front of the Goldenrod City pokecenter, Ashley looked up and down the main road through the city frantically. "Where is he? We were supposed to meet up outside the pokecenter!"

Ashley tapped her foot impatiently. The boy she was waiting for, of course, was none other than Gary. With Gary being the champion of the Elite Four, and Ashley herself being the regional champion of Kanto, it fell upon them to track down whatever remained of the Grand Hunters that were apparently at work in Johto. Ashley could have done it herself, of course, but Lance insisted on having her work together with Gary.

"He better not have gone ahead without me, or else I'll sick Venusaur on him."

"Then my Arcanine will just incinerate it with an Overheat." Ashley blinked when she heard the voice and looked around, but couldn't see Gary anywhere. She eventually gave up and shrugged to herself, at which point Gary finally jumped down off the roof of the pokecenter, his cape billowing behind him as he dropped to the ground with his back to Ashley.

"EEK!" Ashley shrieked, startled by Gary's dropping in. "What the heck were you doing up there?!"

"You said to meet at the pokecenter." Gary replied with a slight shrug. "Didn't say where at the pokecenter."

"Why would you even THINK I meant the roof? You're just being a big show off, that's all!" Ashley accused him. "Just look at yourself! Jumping off of roofs and wearing flashy capes! You're obviously just compensating for something!" Gary flinched noticeably at Ashley's choice of words.

"Annoying woman." He muttered to himself. An Alakazam suddenly appeared standing next to him, via Teleport, at which point Gary promptly recalled it and turned to face Ashley. "Let's just get this over with." He said, throwing his cape behind him in an overly dramatic gesture.

"Right, I can agree with that at least." Ashley replied with a nod. "So what do we have so far?"

"Three pokemon stolen from trainers through use of slave collars, one of which was a Miltank belonging to the local gym leader Whitney." Gary paused for a moment. "She hasn't stopped crying since..."

_"I can't imagine a gym leader crying for some reason."_ Ashley thought.

"In any case, that Miltank could be trouble." Gary continued. "I talked with a few residents and they say Whitney has a reputation for defeating all challengers with it alone."

"...Somehow, even knowing that, I fail to feel any fear regarding a pokemon belonging to a gym leader." Ashley said, rolling her eyes. "I've beaten eight of them, plus four elites, plus you, plus Red. Plus several legendary pokemon. I'm not worried about a Miltank."

"Just had to add 'you' in there, didn't you?" Gary muttered, shaking his head. Realizing who she mentioned just after that, though, he shot her a furious look. "WHAT?! YOU BEAT RED?!"

"Hmm? Is there something wrong with that?" Ashley asked, feigning a curious expression. Of course, she was very much aware of the rivalry between Gary and Red.

"...No, nevermind, " Gary replied, then muttered to himself, "really damn annoying."

"Oh, I see." Ashley smiled sweetly and clasped her hands together, then leaned in close to whisper to him. "I heard that by the way. Both times." Gary glared at her and said nothing, then quickly turned his back to her.

"Whatever. Anyway, the only two known pokemon we have to worry about are an enslaved Nidoking and Bayleef, both belonging to local trainers." He turned his head slightly to look at Ashley from out of the corner of his eye. "In other words, these pokemon are to be returned to their trainers after we've freed them."

"Hmph." Ashley planted her hands on her hips. "And just what makes you think I wouldn't anyway?"

"Gee, I have no idea why someone might think you'd keep them for yourself after you've freed them." Gary replied. "In any case, we need to get a move on. Most recent activity has been in the area of Ilex Forest to the south, so we'll head there."

"Who exactly made you leader of this operation anyway?" Ashley asked in annoyance. "Last I checked, I outrank you AND I have more experience dealing with the hunters!"

Gary shrugged. "Hmph. Whatever. Being the regional champion doesn't get you any special command over the Elite Four, just means you're somehow stronger than us."

"Stupid league rules." Ashley muttered under her breath. "Let's just do this already then."

"Heh." Gary smirked. "Couldn't agree more."

* * *

Gary and Ashley headed south from Goldenrod, taking the main road out of the city. Along the way, they passed by a daycare and stopped briefly to ask if they had seen any suspicious activity in the area.

"Nothing interesting ever happens around here." The old man standing outside said to Ashley. "We're so busy taking care of other trainers' pokemon for them we'd never notice if anything did. We'd run into an odd egg at best, still don't know where the darn things come from."

"...Ashley, we're wasting our time." Gary said impatiently. "If this old geezer doesn't even know where eggs come from then he wouldn't know a suspicious trainer from a police officer." Ashley shot Gary a glare.

"Ignore my partner here." Ashley said to the daycare man. "Can you tell me anything about Ilex Forest then?"

"Anyone around here could tell you all about the forest, lass." The old man said, chuckling. "Full of bug pokemon, that forest is. But its also home to a wooden shrine where the forest's guardian is said to sleep."

"You don't say." Ashley smirked and gave Gary a knowing look.

"Tch. What good does knowing local legends do us?" Gary shrugged. "Still say this is a waste of time."

"I think you forget just what, and who, we're dealing with here, Gary." Ashley said with a sly grin as she turned to face him. "Take it from someone who's had more than her fair share of encounters with legendary pokemon. If, according to legend, there's an ancient forest guardian at that shrine, then we'll find an ancient forest guardian at that shrine and our enemy will be trying to lure it out."

"You seem to be quite knowledgeable about these things, young lady." The old man said to Ashley.

"I guess you could say me and a few friends of mine are protectors of legendary, mirage, or phantom pokemon everywhere." Ashley replied, smiling brightly. "I'm also the regional champion over in Kanto, and..." Ashley pointed toward Gary with her thumb. "...this jerk here is the champion of the elite four."

"Bah, I don't keep up with any of that league nonsense." The man replied in a huff. Gary felt his eye twitch in annoyance. "I can give you directions to the forest shrine though."

"Well that would most definitely be helpful." Ashley replied, shooting Gary another grin.

"Tch...fine, we'll do it your way." He muttered.

* * *

Using a blank sheet of paper, the daycare man drew up a rough map for Ashley. He indicated the location of the shrine on the map with a house-shaped symbol and used arrows to give a rough direction to the shrine from the entrance closest to Goldenrod. With directions in hand, Ashley and Gary set off again.

Continuing south, Gary and Ashley eventually arrived at the entrance to Ilex Forest. A guard house was set up at the entrance, with the line of trees starting at the front of the building. They passed through without incident and stepped out the other side to find themselves in a dark and eerie looking forest. The trees around them were packed so densely that hardly any light filtered through their leaves.

"This forest is almost perfect for some kind of guardian to hang out in. Kind of has an air of mysticism to it, huh?" Ashley said to Gary.

"This more of your experience with the legendary pokemon talking?" Gary asked bitterly.

"Just a general observance really." Ashley replied with a shrug, resting her hands on her hips. "It really does feel like this is the kind of place a legendary pokemon might hang out."

"Nevermind that. Which way is the fastest way to get to that shrine?" Gary then asked impatiently. Ashley took a quick look at the map, squinting to make out the directions.

"There's a large pond to the south of us." Ashley looked ahead, scanning for any sign of the lake. "I can't see it from here, but in any case we just have to cross the pond and keep going south."

"Great. And what do we do if they're not there?" Gary asked, glancing over at Ashley. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed her taking out a pokeball.

"Then we find a way to get to the legendary pokemon ourselves so we can send it to the island." Ashley replied. She then held out her hand, gripping the pokeball she grabbed, and called out her pokemon. "Venusaur, come on out!" Instantly the pokeball opened up and out came Venusaur, materializing in front of Ashley.

"What are you sending out a pokemon for?" Gary asked Ashley.

"-What are we hanging around with this jerk for?-" Venusaur asked, though he knew he wouldn't get a response.

"They might be expecting us, so better safe than sorry for now." Ashley replied. Gary shrugged. Finding no reason to call out his own pokemon yet, Gary followed behind Venusaur as the group set off straight ahead from the entrance. After walking a couple dozen meters forward, they could make out the reflective surface of a pond in the darkened forest.

"Gary, your Blastoise can ferry us both across, right?" Ashley asked Gary.

Gary shrugged. "I suppose it could, but don't you have your own pokemon for that?"

"My only water pokemon aren't exactly good for riding on, and I don't want to call out Zapdos for something so small." Ashley replied. Gary sighed and shook his head.

"Fine. Guess my pokemon will just have to make like a boat then." Gary reached for a pokeball, but as he did Ashley noticed movement in the water.

"Gary, wait! I think I saw something in the water!"

"Probably just a fish pokemon." Gary replied, unconcerned. Unconcerned, that is, until a serpentine pokemon with long red hair rose up out of the water. Gary quickly reached for a different pokemon instead, but the serpent pokemon attacked Venusaur before he could do so. It fired a high pressure blast of water at Venusaur, pushing it back. Venusaur grunted in pain, feeling the pressure from the powerful attack despite its type advantage.

"Fish nothing! That's a Milotic, and a strong one too!" Ashley said to Gary. "Venusaur, quick! Sleep Powder!" Venusaur fired back at Milotic with a blast of green powder, quickly dropping it as it fell asleep and slid back into the water.

"Exeggutor, go!" Gary called out, releasing a thick bodied, tree-like pokemon with three heads. The three heads immediately locked onto their target, seeing it sleeping under the water. "You seem to recognize this pokemon, what gives?" Gary asked Ashley.

"It's Milotic, a pokemon that evolves from a small, ugly fish in the Hoenn region." Ashley said, smiling slightly as she glanced over at Gary. "Think of it like Gyarados, only from ugly to beautiful instead of weak to strong. Not that Milotic isn't a strong pokemon. We should get ready and then blast it simultaneously with Solarbeam."

Gary shrugged. "Overkill if you ask me. Alright, Exeggutor, you heard her. Start charging Solarbeam and don't fire until I say."

"Venusaur, you start charging too." Ashley ordered, scanning the pond intently. _"If my hunch is right about that Milotic's owner, then nothing less than full power is going to take it down."_

Venusaur and Exeggutar began gathering all the sunlight they could, the canopy of trees hindering their progress. After a while, though, they were fully charged and waiting for the moment to strike. They didn't have long to wait. Only seconds after they charged their attacks, Milotic began to rise from the water again.

"Exeggutor! NOW!"

"Venusaur! FIRE!"

Exeggutor lowered its three heads and Venusaur angled the plant on its back toward Milotic. They each fired a beam of solar energy at Milotic before it had a chance to attack, both attacks managing to hit it in the head. Milotic shrieked and fell backwards into the water, sinking under briefly until its unconscious body floated to the service.

"Well that was taken care of easily enough." Gary said, recalling his Exeggutor. He placed its pokeball back on his belt and took another one in his hand, then held up the new pokeball and released Blastoise.

"You could have at least said something to your pokemon." Ashley muttered, glancing over at Gary. She looked back at Venusaur as she took his pokeball in her hand. "Venusaur, you can rest in your pokeball for now until we get across the pond." she said, then recalled Venusaur and returned the pokeball to her belt.

"Blastoise, we need you to ferry us across the pond." Gary said.

Blastoise nodded and waded into the water. Once it was in deep enough it floated over surface, stomach down so Ashley and Gary could ride on its shell. The pokemon paid little attention to the unconscious Milotic floating next to it. Gary and Ashley hopped on and arrived at the other side of the pond shortly after. After they reached the opposite shore, Gary recalled Blastoise while Ashley sent Venusaur out again.

"There's likely to be more pokemon along here." Ashley warned Gary. "I have a feeling I know what we're up against though."

"Then I'll just keep using you and your Venusaur for a shield then." Gary replied, moving in behind Ashley and Venusaur.

"-First chance I get, I'm grabbing this guy with my vines and using HIM for a shield.-" Venusaur muttered bitterly.

_"The more I hang around with him, the harder I find it to believe we used to be friends."_ Ashley thought, rolling her eyes.

Ashley scanned the forest ahead, searching for any sign of another pokemon they would have to fight. She couldn't see anything at first. Squinting her eyes, she soon noticed that there seemed to be a swirling cloud of dust moving through the trees ahead. After observing the dust for a moment, she realized what it really was and that it was moving toward them.

"We've got another pokemon heading this way." Ashley warned Gary. Gary nodded. He, too, saw what was up ahead and immediately knew what pokemon he would be dealing with.

The swirling cloud of sand moved faster, closing the distance between itself and the trainers. A small fire could be seen cloaked behind the sand, burning brightly as it moved toward Venusaur. The sand blew around them and Venusaur braced itself for the attack. A fiery fist slammed into Venusaur's head, smashing his jaw into the ground and singing the top of his head. With the pokemon standing directly in front of Venusaur, they could now see their attacker was a Tyranitar.

_"Another of Drake's pokemon...this couldn't be a coincidence!"_ Ashley thought, gritting her teeth. With the sand blowing, she kept her arms held out in front of her face to protect herself. She contemplated her next move, wondering if Gary had sent out his own pokemon since she didn't hear anything. Noticing a green glow from Venusaur, which she recognized as its Overgrow ability, she decided to make her move.

"Venusaur! Frenzy Plant!" A pair of thick, brown vines shot out of the base of the plant on Venusaur's back and dug straight into the ground. The vines burst from the ground again on either side of Tyranitar, seeming much larger than they were initially, and wrapped around to squeeze it tightly. Tyranitar growled in pain and struggled to break free, but Venusaur had a strong grip on it. Only Tyranitar's head was left free.

"Heracross, Brick Break!" A horned bug pokemon suddenly jumped into view, slamming its fist into Tyranitar's exposed head as if it were smashing a stack of bricks. Tyranitar was knocked unconscious and Venusaur withdrew its vines, letting it fall to the ground. With Tyranitar knocked out, the sandstorm began to die down, but not before Venusaur wasn't able to endure any more.

"-With my final breath... I... curse... Ashley!-" Venusaur groaned before his legs gave out from under him, collapsing to the ground. Ashley recalled Venusaur and then put the pokeball back on her belt.

"Guess that was more than Venusaur could handle..." Ashley said, letting out a sigh. "At least that Tyranitar is taken care of." Ashley quickly took another pokeball from her belt. "Come on out, Zapdos!" She then called out, releasing the legendary lightning bird from its pokeball. Zapdos quickly glanced around until it saw Gary, stopping to peer at him.

"-Don't I know you from somewhere?-"

"Don't get too comfortable, Ashley, we're not finished yet." Gary said, pointing ahead of them. A large, pink, egg-shaped pokemon had emerged from the trees ahead. "Well, at least this one won't take long, its only a Blissey." He said to Ashley. "Think you can distract it?"

"Of course." Ashley replied. "Zapdos, get its attention with a Thunderbolt." Zapdos nodded and spread its wings, charging electricity through them, then brought them together in front of itself to fire a bolt of electricity at the enemy pokemon. Their opponent grinned and stood strong against the attack, eagerly taking the hit with little trouble.

"Heracross, now! Focus Punch!" Gary ordered his pokemon while the enemy was distracted. Heracross raised one hand back and ran toward Blissey, gathering energy in its fist as it approached its target.

Zapdos finally stopped its attack and Blissey snickered at it. Special attacks like Thunderbolt were nothing to a Blissey and, in its overconfidence, it allowed Zapdos to continue attacking. Blissey noticed Heracross charging toward her too late. Its powerful fist smashed her in the face, sending her flying back into a tree and snapping it in half. She landed with the upper half of the tree, completely knocked out.

"A Blissey's defense against special attacks is extremely powerful, but it can't take a physical attack to save its life." Gary said, smirking to himself. "A strong fighting attack like Focus Punch easily knocks it out."

"Well that IS pretty common knowledge." Ashley said to him, deflating his ego. "Chansey aren't all that rare except in the wild, so their capabilities are fairly well known, and Blissey evolves from Chansey."

"Tch...well I didn't see you saying anything." Gary muttered bitterly.

Gary took out Heracross' pokeball again, preparing to recall his pokemon. Before he could, though, it was suddenly struck by a bolt of electricity. Heracross growled in pain and fell to its knees, the attack dealing a strong blow to it. "What?! More of them?!" Gary growled, scanning the trees. There was no sign of Heracross' attacker, but then a figure shot out of the trees in a blur of movement. A green lizard pokemon could be seen briefly as it stopped in front of Gary and Heracross and turned to face them. Zapdos took the opportunity to fire a pulse of electricity at it, paralyzing it and slowing it down.

"Gary! Look out! That Sceptile means business!" Ashley warned him. Gary realized she was right, Sceptile was looking at him rather than his weakened Heracross. He grabbed a pokeball from his belt and released another pokemon just as the Sceptile moved to attack. An Arcanine appeared between them just in time to take a Leaf Blade attack in Gary's place.

"Let me guess, another Hoenn pokemon?" Gary spat. "And you knew it would target me instead of my pokemon, didn't you?!" He added through gritted teeth. "Arcanine, knock it back with Iron Tail!" Gary's Arcanine quickly spun around while its tail briefly took on a shiny, metallic appearance, and brought its tail to strike Sceptile and throw it back several feet. The Sceptile quickly jumped back on its feet, but was unsteady due to the paralysis.

"These pokemon all belonged to a very powerful trainer we fought in Hoenn, the pokemon that attacked your Heracross was most likely a Jolteon." Ashley said to Gary. "Zapdos, see if you can sense where that Jolteon is hiding. It should be giving off a strong electrical signal." Zapdos nodded and scanned the surrounding trees, eventually stopping with its beak pointing at a group of trees near what seemed to be a tunnel of some sort formed by trees bent over on either side. The forest was too dark to see down the tunnel, or into the trees around it.

"Keep an eye on it." Ashley instructed Zapdos. Meanwhile, Gary continued to deal with the more immediate threat.

"Heracross, how you holding out?" Gary asked his pokemon. Heracross started to stand up again to answer him, but another blast of electricity fired out from the trees to strike it. This time, the blast was more than Heracross could handle and it immediately collapsed. The blast briefly lit up the area of the trees where Jolteon was hiding, though Ashley swore she could see another pokemon floating in the tunnel as well. The Sceptile, meanwhile, fell to the ground again while it was still figuring out its next move. Its paralysis caused its legs to give out from under it.

"You weren't kidding about them being strong." Gary said to Ashley. "Arcanine, get near Sceptile and use Overheat!" Arcanine nodded and lunged forward, coming to a stop near Sceptile. Sceptile quickly stood up and tried to move, but Arcanine attacked before it could get away. A blast of flames shot out in every direction from Arcanine like an explosion, engulfing Sceptile completely and reaching as far as the trees where Jolteon was hiding. At that moment, Zapdos turned its beak slightly to indicate Jolteon had moved out of the way. Sceptile, however, did not. When the flames died down, Sceptile was unconscious.

"I have a feeling I know what that last pokemon is going to try." Ashley thought to herself. "Zapdos, start charging electricity and don't stop until I tell you to fire." Zapdos spread out its wings and started to gather electricity within them, all the while keeping its beak pointed toward the hidden Jolteon. Gary, meanwhile, took a pokeball from his belt to call out another pokemon, releasing his Exeggutor again to ensure he would be protected from further attacks from Jolteon.

"Exeggutor, get ready to attack with Sleep Powder when I say so and aim over there." Gary quietly ordered his pokemon, pointing to the trees where Jolteon was hiding. Exeggutor lowered its head, ready to attack as soon as Gary gave the command. Gary watched the trees closely, waiting for the right moment. Seeing a Shadow Ball attack fire out from the trees, Gary called out his attack.

"Exeggutor! Now!" Exeggutor fired a blast of green powder, just barely managing to get off the attack before the Shadow Ball attack hit it in the head and flipped it over onto its back. The powder reached the line of trees, putting the enemy Jolteon to sleep. Exeggutor, unfortunately, had been knocked out in the process by a single attack from Jolteon, forcing Gary to recall it.

"Arcanine." Gary snapped his fingers and pointed toward the trees. "Fetch, boy." Arcanine grinned and moved off into the trees, sticking its head in and searching around until it found the sleeping Jolteon. Making no effort whatsoever to be gentle with it, Arcanine grabbed Jolteon in its mouth and dragged it out into the open.

Gary smirked. "Good. Now pin it to the ground and burn it with Flamethrower until its knocked out." Arcanine dropped Jolteon to the ground and stamped its paw down on Jolteon's neck. The electric pokemon remained asleep while Arcanine opened its mouth and spewed out flames onto Jolteon's head. Using the attack so close to the ground cause flames to fly back in Arcanine's face as well, but its body absorbed the flames and used them to further power up its attacks. Arcanine's attack knocked Jolteon out long before it would wake up, at which point Arcanine finally stopped.

"Well that takes care of that." Gary said to himself, then glanced curiously toward Ashley. "Just what the heck are you charging up to attack anyway?"

"There's still one pokemon left." Ashley said to Gary. At that moment, the final pokemon decided to reveal itself. A Weezing shot out of the darkened 'tunnel' ahead of them, already glowing in preparation to use Explosion.

"Zapdos! Fire!" Ashley called out frantically. Zapdos brought its wings together and discharged all of its stored electricity in a Thunderbolt attack directed at Weezing. The entire area was lit up as a bolt of electricity as wide as Zapdos' body shot toward Weezing, engulfing it entirely and sending an immensely powerful shock through its body. The poison pokemon didn't even get to voice its pain before it fell to the ground in a charred, smoking heap. The large bolt continued on, taking out several trees before it finally dissipated.

"Ok, that should be the last one of his pokemon anyway. The rest of the pokemon we'll have to worry about would be the enslaved pokemon, they'll be easy compared to the pokemon we've faced so far."

"Hmph. As if they were really a challenge."

"Only because we tag teamed them." Ashley shot back, glaring at him. "If either of us were alone against those pokemon, we'd have been in serious trouble! You saw what that Jolteon did to your Exeggutor!"

"Can't argue with that I guess." Gary muttered, remembering how his Exeggutor went down in only one hit. "In any case, looks like we have to go down there." Gary said, looking toward the tunnel-like path formed by bent trees ahead of them. "Zapdos can lead the way and Arcanine will take up the rear, just incase we get ambushed."

"Of course my pokemon takes the lead." Ashley muttered, shaking her head. "Ok, Zapdos, looks like you're leading the way."

"-Fine by me.-" Zapdos said with a shrug of its wings. Zapdos walked over to the tunnel, examining the opening to determine whether or not there was room enough for it to fly. Realizing there wasn't, it kept walking. Ashley followed behind Zapdos, and Gary joined them with Arcanine taking up the rear.

_"For some reason, I get the feeling this path will take us straight to the shrine."_ Ashley noted, glancing up at the trees arched overhead. _"Funny that the old guy didn't mention anything like this though? Maybe this path is new?"_

Continuing through the tunnel-like path through the trees, the group eventually saw light ahead of them. They pushed on toward the light, the thought that they were almost there urging them on. They reached the end of the path and arrived in a small clearing, where they were immediately greeted by a Miltank, Nidoking, and Ampharos, all wearing slave collars.

"Those three pokemon...so they're definitely here." Gary said to himself. He stepped aside and motioned for his Arcanine to move through, joining Zapdos at the front lines. The enslaved pokemon stood their ground, but made no move to attack. With the Nidoking blocking their view, though, they couldn't see the wooden shrine behind them.

"Looks like they're not going to let us through either." Ashley smirked. "Not that we'd have any trouble getting through these three."

"I had a feeling someone might show up here eventually, but to think you even managed to get past Drake's pokemon." A woman's voice said from behind Nidoking. "But I am afraid you are too late to stop me. I already have what I came here for." The Nidoking stepped aside slightly, enough for Ashley and Gary to see Galactica, the only hunter to have managed to escape capture, standing near a wooden shrine. In her hand she held a gold and silver pokeball with the letters 'GS' on the top half.

"I don't know what you've got there, but you're not going anywhere with it!" Gary said to her. Arcanine barked it's agreement.

"So the Elite Four's new Champion and their loyal bitch show up again to stop me." Galactica sneered. "Fools...little do you know, I can go anywhere I want from here." The blue haired woman said to them.

"You plan to travel back through time to stop us from defeating Drake, don't you?" Ashley asked her.

"Smart girl. That's exactly what I have planned." Galactica held up the gold and silver pokeball in front of her. "With this pokeball, made from the rare gold and silver apricorns, I have once again drawn the forest guardian Celebi out of the stream of time." Galactica grinned. "I must commend you on forcing us to go this far to ensure Drake's plans come to fruitation. I could scarcely believe it myself when I found his remains in the ruins of Trainer Hill. After giving him a proper burial, I took his pokemon, still safely in their pokeballs, for myself."

"So that's why they never found the body, you beat them there." Ashley said thoughtfully. "But even with those pokemon you couldn't stop us from getting here! We won't give you the chance to use Celebi's power!"

"You will have to get through these enslaved pokemon first, while all I need to do is place this..." Galactica held up a slave collar in her other hand, "around Celebi's neck. Then I can use its time travelling powers to alter history so Drake will emerge victorious!"

Galactica opened the pokeball, releasing a small, fairy-like grass pokemon. The pokemon turned to greet the person who had managed to capture it, a look of horror forming on its face when it recognized Galactica. Its body started to glow and it let out a shriek, a desparate plea for help that echo'd through the stream of time, but it was stopped from fleeing into time itself when Galactica snapped the collar on it and the white glow faded away.

"Damn it!" Gary yelled in frustration, punching a nearby tree. "All this time we were listening to her we could have been stopping her instead!" He quickly looked toward Arcanine. "Arcanine! Extremespeed! Stop her!" Arcanine crouched down, getting ready to attack, but Nidoking moved in its way again. Arcanine took off in a blur of movement, leaving an after image behind it, but was stopped when it hit Nidoking. Both pokemon bounced back, but Nidoking was able to shrug off the attack and keep standing.

_"No good...and Zapdos won't get an attack past any of those pokemon, they could all take a Thunderbolt from it and stay standing."_ Ashley thought. _"There...there has to be a way to stop her!" _Ashley looked around frantically, considering her options until she noticed a distortion in the air above Galactica. _"What...what is that?"_ Ashley wondered. A black crack appeared in the air, as if reality itself was starting to split.

"I'm afraid this is it for you." Galactica said, snickering. "Celebi, t... ake... me..." As the crack in the air grew larger, time itself seemed to slow down. From where Ashley and Gary stood, they could see a creature standing within the cracks. The creature seemed to be nearly twenty feet tall, a blue four-legged creature with a long neck and metallic plates covering parts of its body.

Though they could see the creature themselves, neither Ashley, Gary, nor their pokemon, could register its presence in their minds as time continued to slow. The creature seemed to move impossibly fast by comparison, its body glowing as it prepared an attack. The creature then let out a mighty roar and time began to flow normally again as a massive energy wave expanded outward from the creature's mouth, striking Celebi and the other three enslaved pokemon and blasting them into the ground. Miltank, Nidoking, and Ampharos were knocked out instantly and each pokemon's slave collar was shattered into a thousand pieces.

"-Thank...you...Di...alga...-" Celebi wheezed out before finally losing consciousness as well.

Galactica stared at the damage in utter shock and quickly looked around. "What?! Who?!" Galactica eventually looked up and saw the rift above her, as well as the pokemon standing in it. The pokemon was panting, winded by its own attack and taking a brief moment to recover. "You...what are you?! Answer me!" Galactica angrily demanded. The pokemon ignored her and, as soon as it regained its strength, closed the rift it appeared from and vanished.

"Wow...guess we weren't needed afterall..." Ashley said, blinking in disbelief.

"You mean that wasn't one of the legendary pokemon from your island?" Gary asked her. Ashley shook her head.

"Damn it...after all my work in getting that Celebi again...that pokemon just shows up out of nowhere and frees it?!" Galactica slowly turned around, coming face to face with Ashley, Gary, Arcanine, and Zapdos. There were no enslaved pokemon to protect her now.

"You...this isn't over! I'll get another slave collar and come for Celebi again! I still have the GS ball! Drake will rule this world yet, mark my words!"

"Ok, there's several problems with that statement." Ashley said, holding a hand up. She held up one finger. "First, you assume you're leaving here. You're not." She held up another finger. "Second, Celebi will be going to a safe place where no GS ball will be taking it back." She held up a third finger. "Third, you're not keeping that thing." A fourth finger. "Fourth, now that Celebi recognizes you, it's going to call that thing for help as soon as it sees you."

Finally, she held up her thumb. "Fifth...lady, do you even know what Drake was trying to do?" Ashley asked her. "Drake was planning to use Jirachi to wish humans didn't exist, so the world would belong only to pokemon. Is that really what you wanted?"

"What are you saying? That Drake was lying to me?" Galactica asked through clenched teeth. "I don't believe you!"

"Why would we lie? It doesn't make any difference now, we're taking you in." Gary said to her.

"Well think again!" Galactica quickly threw a small black ball into the ground, sending a blast of thick, black smoke through the area and blinding everyone. While Gary and Ashley were blinded, Galactica took the chance to flee past the two to collect Drake's pokemon on her way out. She no longer had the luxury of being warped out at a moment's notice.

"Zapdos! Can't you do something about this smoke?" Ashley said to her pokemon. Zapdos tried flapping its wings. While it managed to blow away some of the smoke, it wasn't able to do much as Zapdos didn't know the Gust technique or anything similar. Eventually, the smoke cleared on its own.

"Damn it! She got away!" Gary cursed. "Ashley, deal with those pokemon. Galactica probably fled toward Azalea town." Gary quickly hopped up on Arcanine's back and pointed to a second path leading southeast from the clearing they were in, blocked by the stump of what used to be a small tree. "That way, Arcanine! Let's go!" Arcanine barked and ran off in the direction Gary believed Galactica had fled.

"She probably just warped away, but let him go on his goose chase." Ashley said with a shrug, then sighed. "I should have seen that coming...but I guess she isn't much of a threat now anyway. Someone just needs to track her down and take her in, and the Elite Four shouldn't need me just to do that." Ashley shrugged again and then looked at the four unconscious pokemon.

"Well, for those three, only the Nidoking is really a problem. I could send Gary for a few revives when he gets back, too. But Celebi..." Ashley looked at the small grass pokemon for a moment, then took a pokeball from her belt. "I came ready with a Pokeball to put Celebi in and send it to the Sanctuary when I found it anyway. I didn't want to do it while it was unconscious but I guess I don't have much choice."

Ashley lobbed the empty pokeball at Celebi. The pokeball bounced off and opened in the air, pulling Celebi inside before it hit the ground. With Celebi unconscious, the pokeball sealed it inside immediately and was then sent off to storage. Thanks to Bill setting up the Sanctuary to act as a storage for Ashley, May, Melany, and Rina's pokemon, Celebi would be sent straight there.

"I'll call Melany later and let her know what's inside." Ashley said to herself, then turned to Zapdos. "Well, guess me and you just wait here until Gary gives up and comes back."

"-Joy.-" Zapdos muttered, rolling its eyes.

* * *

Unknown to Gary, Galactica had actually escaped toward Goldenrod and had already fled the area. With Drake's pokemon still unconscious, she made her way through Goldenrod City and headed straight for the northern exit along the main road.

"Damn those two...all of Drake's plans have been ruined now..." She muttered to herself. "No slave collars left, our operations in Kanto completely busted now, and no reset button. I must seek a new start now..."

Galactica stopped for a moment, recalling the unknown pokemon that had appeared, and grinned to herself. "Yes...I'll find THAT pokemon...even if Drake was lying to me, to all the hunters, I will achieve global domination in his place! That pokemon must be from another region, so I will just go there and start anew by bending that region's legendary pokemon to my will!" Galactica raised one fist into the air.

"EVERYONE IN THE HOENN, KANTO, AND JOHTO REGIONS WILL COME TO FEAR MY NAME!"

Nearby, a small child and her mother witnessed Galactica's outburst.

"Mommy...why's that lady want people to be a'scared of her?"

"Pay no attention, dear, she's just insane."

* * *

Author's Notes: Amazing how Galactica goes from being a one-shot character tossed aside by Red to having her own goals for world domination. She seems to think she's important to the plot now. That poor, foolish lady.

So, yeah, having read this far, get the title now? "Time and Time Again"? Eh? Eh?! ...Well, I thought it was clever anyway.

In any case, all legendary pokemon are now present and accounted for at the Sanctuary. Except that 'mysterious' pokemon that answered Celebi's cry for help. And any other Pokemon that might be from a theoretical fourth region. But how many legendary pokemon could that possibly be?

Next chapter will focus on Rina, by the way, as she sets out on a quest to draw more allusions to the manga character she was based on.

On a side note, Galactica's real name isn't Galactica, that was her 'hunter name' so to speak. Like Flare. Is it suspicious that I singled out that one? And what is Galactica's real name, you ask? ...I don't know, not important enough for me to have thought of at this point. I mean, consider her track record...


	7. Chapter 7: The Hunt for Red

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company.**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Seven**

**The Hunt for Red**

Date: 6 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Early morning, the day after Ashley's encounter with Galactica, Rina and Pippi were still hanging out at Rina's place and were in front of the tv in the living room. For the past two days, they did almost nothing but watch tv, and this day was no different. With the remote in her hand, Rina flipped through one channel after another until she finally dropped it in frustration and sighed.

"There's nothing to watch today..." Rina mumbled.

"-Why don't we go back to the island? You liked it better there, didn't you?-" Pippi asked her.

"I did, but..." Rina thought for a moment and shook her head. "I don't want to go back yet, as much as I'd like to be with all those pokemon..."

"-Why not? You must have a reason!-" Pippi asked, pressing the matter.

"Umm...well..." Rina blushed slightly. "Melany practically lives there now, right? And her and May seem like they're dating or something now, so what if I show up and they're both there? I might be interrupting something!"

Pippi's right ear twitched. "-Interrupting something? Like what?-" She asked, peering at Rina curiously.

"W-well...something...something like..." Rina, realizing she didn't actually have the answer, grimaced. "Umm...actually, I have no idea what two girls dating might do together." She admitted sheepishly, then blinked and thought about it again. "Come to think of it...what do a guy and a girl even do together?!"

"-You...don't know?-" Pippi asked, blinking in disbelief.

"UWAAA! I'M COMPLETELY CLUELESS ABOUT ROMANCE!" Rina cried out, then collapsed onto the floor. Pippi remained quiet, thinking over her trainer's predicament while stroking her furry chin.

"-Well...don't you start by getting all embarassed and confessing your love to him?-" Pippi said to her.

"EHH?!" Rina bolted up and looked at Pippi incredulously. "Pippi! How do you even know that?"

"-Actually that's what a girl did in one of those things on the tv.-" Pippi said, smiling brightly.

Rina sighed. "I kinda zoned out through most of them...maybe I should have been paying more attention?" Rina sat back and folded her arms over her chest, pondering Pippi's suggestion. "Now that you mention it though...I never did tell Red how I feel about him."

"-So you should definitely do that then!-" Pippi said excitedly, clenching her paws into fists.

"But we don't know where he is..." Rina thought over it some more, then uncrossed her arms and hit her fist against her palm. "Ok! I've decided!" Rina quickly stood up with a determined expression. "I'm going to find the missing Red!"

"-Woohoo! I smell an adventure!-" Pippi cheered.

"I just have to get changed first." Rina added. With no reason to get dressed, she was still in her yellow Pikachu pajamas.

"-Oh yeah...-" Pippi looked at the felt face on Rina's top and winced. "-That Pikachu face still creeps me out too...-"

Rina went to her room to change, quickly changing out of her pajamas and into her usual black pants and long sleeved black shirt. Over her pants and shirt she wore a yellow tunic, tied at the waist with the purple belt she had her six pokeballs clipped to. On her way out the door she stopped to put on a pair of purple hiking boots and grabbed a wide brimmed straw hat off a nearby hanger.

"Feels kinda silly to wear this old thing, but for some reason I feel like wearing it today." Rina said to Pippi as she placed the hat on her head. She frowned when she noticed it didn't seem to fit properly, but then realized it was her ponytail getting in the way and quickly tucked it under her hat.

"There we go!" Rina said, smiling to herself with the hat now firmly on her head, then turned to face Pippi. "How do I look?"

"-Like a boy.-" Pippi replied, grinning.

"That's...that's not entirely the response I was looking for..." Rina said, rubbing the top of her head through her hat. "Well anyway, let's go find the missing Red!"

Pippi nodded in agreement. "-But where should we start looking?-"

"Well, I was thinking, Red's a pokedex holder, right?" Rina said. Pippi nodded in agreement. "So I bet Professor Oak will know something about where he is!"

"-Oh! Good idea!-" Pippi said, nodding enthusiastically. The two of them then set off, heading south toward Pallet Town.

* * *

A short flight on Knight later...

"I'm looking for Professor Oak!" Rina announced loudly as she barged through the front doors of the lab in Pallet Town with Pippi riding on her shoulder. She looked around the lab, spotting a stunned aide standing nearby. "Excuse me, sir! Where would I find Professor Oak?"

"Erm..." The aide tried to muster up a response, but eventually just pointed down the hall toward Oak's office.

"Thanks!" Rina replied, then set off down the hall, leaving the aide to wonder who the strange boy who barged into the lab was. Continuing down the hall, she eventually reached the door to Oak's office and kicked it open much like she did the first door.

"Professor Oak? Are you in here?" Rina called out into the room before the door was even open. Professor Oak was sitting in front of a computer and quickly spun around in his chair.

"Yes, I'm here! And I'm rather busy!" Professor Oak snapped. "Who the blazes do you think you are to just barge in here like that?!"

"My name's Rina, I'm a friend of Ashley's and helped her work on her pokedex." Rina said to him. "Anyway I was wondering if you'd have any idea where Red is!"

"Hrm. So you're Rina?" Professor Oak looked her over and raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you a boy?"

"-I said the same thing.-" Pippi said, nodding in agreement.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT!" Rina yelled, clenching her fists. "Do you know where Red is or not?!"

"Hmph. Of course I know where he is." Professor Oak replied, folding his arm over his chest. Hearing this, Rina smiled to herself, but her smile quickly faded as Professor Oak continued to speak. "However I am not going to tell some rude child who just barged into my office."

"But...but...I helped you with that pokedex!" Rina pleaded. "You have my pokemon registered in Ashley's pokedex."

"Even though that may be true, a child like you would have no chance at surviving against the wild pokemon where Red is." The professor said sternly. "If you want to find Red then you will have to prove your capability as a trainer."

"Ok...so what do I have to do?"

"You must defeat me in a one on one battle." Professor Oak said to her. Rina gave him an odd look in response and Professor Oak frowned. "I'll have you know that even though I might not look it now, I was quite the accomplished trainer back in the day! Why, I held my own even against the Elite Four's Agatha!"

"I guess you can't judge a book by its cover, huh?" Rina said to Pippi. She then nodded to Professor Oak. "Ok then! If I have to battle to find out where Red is then I'll do it!"

"Very well. But only one pokemon each, as I said." Oak glanced back at his computer. "I have too much work to catch up on to waste time with pokemon battles."

Professor Oak, Rina, and Pippi headed back outside the lab for their battle. The same aide Rina passed on the way in regarded them in confusion as they left. Once outside, they distanced themselves for the battle and Pippi hopped down from Rina's shoulder to stand next to her.

"This pokemon will be your opponent." The professor said as he held out a pokeball and released Fearow. The pokemon immediately flapped its wings and took off, flying high into the air. "If you want to find Red, then prove your capabilities by ending this battle."

_"Ok, this shouldn't be too hard."_ Rina thought, taking a pokeball from her belt. "Berry, you can take this one on! Go!" Rina held out the pokeball and released her pokemon, sending out Berry the Butterfree to battle Oak's Fearow.

"-I'll do my best, master!-" Berry said enthusiastically.

"-After all this time she still calls you master.-" Pippi snickered to herself.

"Using a bug type? You won't survive very long then." Professor Oak said to Rina, shaking his head sadly. "Fearow, end this quickly with Drill Peck." Fearow reared its head back, forming a drill-like vacuum of air around its beak, then dove down toward Berry.

"Berry, Whirlwind! Aim for the ground!" Berry tilted her body horizontally and then started flapping her wings rapidly, creating a strong whirlwind that rose up and pushed her up with it. The wind against her wings prevented her from continuing the attack, cancelling it out, but it had already pushed her up high enough to evade Fearow's Drill Peck. Fearow backed off the attack and pulled out of its dive, realizing it had no chance of striking Berry now.

"Ok, now's your chance! Supersonic!" Rina called out. Berry shrieked, emitting a high pitched frequency that humans couldn't hear. Fearow could hear it just fine, however, and the noise caused the bird pokemon a massive headache and forced it to land.

_"Using status effects to make up for a type disadvantage. Standard procedure."_ Professor Oak thought to himself. _"Though it's strange she would choose to battle with a disadvantage in the first place, especially when she has a Pikachu with her..."_

"Fearow, use Agility to increase your speed." Professor Oak ordered his pokemon. Fearow was able to focus enough to use the technique, relaxing its musclesto enable it to move faster.

"Ok, let's keep using status techniques! Sleep Powder, Berry!" Berry started flapping her wings, releasing a green powder into the air and forcing it toward the ground. Spreading the powder downward, and from directly over Fearow, caused the powder to become spread over a wide area and left little room for Fearow to evade. The bird pokemon still tried, moving to the right and keeping its eye on the powder to see where it would fall, but in its confusion it tripped over its own feet and fell. The powder then landed on Fearow and put it to sleep.

"Hmm. Asleep now too." The professor gave a light shrug. "Fearow will be ready to strike back by the time it wakes up."

"Ok, now use Stun Spore!" Berry flapped her wings again, this time sending a cloud of spores down toward the ground. The spores landed on the sleeping Fearow, rendering its muscles paralyzed.

"Paralysis too?" Professor Oak narrowed his eyes at Rina. "Young lady, in my day trainers had a sense of honour! A pokemon was either paralyzed, poisoned, asleep, frozen, or burned. If one status effect was already in place, then the trainer would not order..."

"One more! Poison Powder!" Rina called out, ignoring Professor Oak's rant. Berry released a cloud of poisonous purple powder that descended upon Fearow, leaving it poisoned now as well. "Even if there was some kind of code of honour like that, I'm not going to hold back if it means I won't find Red!"

"-You know, those tactics really do seem kinda unfair.-" Pippi said to Rina. "-I mean, that Fearow didn't have a chance to resist the poison or paralysis while it was asleep like that, and its not like it can really fight back in that state when it wakes up either.-" Pippi shook her head. "-I don't think any pokemon really stands a chance against something like that...-"

"Sh-shut up! I really need to win here!" Rina shot back.

"-I could have ended this with one Volt Tackle.-" Pippi said indignantly, nodding to herself.

"You're certainly determined, I'll give you that." Professor Oak said to her, though he still didn't look pleased by her choice of tactics. Noticing his Fearow was starting to open its eyes, he quickly called out an attack. "Fearow, strike from below with Drill Peck!" Fearow started to get up, propping itself up with its wings. It struggled for a moment, summoning its strength to overcome the paralysis and poison wracking its body.

"Berry, Gust!" Berry began flapping her wings rapidly, sending strong gusts of wind down upon Fearow. Fearow raised its head, forming a vacuum of air around its beak as it prepared to attack, but was pushed back into the ground by Berry's Gust attack. In its paralyzed state, Fearow didn't have the strength to fight back against the wind.

"-So now you're just going to keep it pinned and slowly wear it down?-" Pippi asked Rina in a condescending tone.

"I know! Its cheap! I get it already!" Rina shot back.

"Yes, that combination is quite cheap indeed." Oak said, nodding in agreement. "However, there is one flaw to it. A pokemon with a ranged technique could still fight back."

"But...don't most ranged attacks a pokemon like Fearow would know mean using their wings anyway?" Rina asked, recalling Ashley's Pidgeot using Swift with its wings.

"True, but Fearow has one technique that doesn't require use of its wings." The professor replied. "Fearow, roll onto your back and fire at Butterfree with Tri Attack." Oak's Fearow curled its wings under it and rolled over so it was lying on its back. It then opened its mouth and formed three balls of energy, consisting of fire, ice, and electricity, then fired a triple colored beam at Berry. Berry cried out as the beam struck her in the chest and flipped her over, sending her pummeling to the ground. With Berry no longer using Gust, Fearow was able to get back up.

"Tri Attack?! I've never seen a Fearow use an attack like that before!" Rina said in disbelief.

"-Wait, how many Fearow HAVE we seen?-" Pippi folded her arms and pondered over it for a moment, trying to recall the last time she had seen a Fearow.

"Fearow, Drill Peck." Fearow mustered all the strength it had left, which wasn't much by then after being drained by Gust and poison, to flap its wings and jumped into the air. With a vacuum of air swirling around its beak, Fearow was quickly closing the gap between it and the falling Berry.

"No time to make another attack!" Rina thought, frantically trying to come up with a solution. "Our only chance now is to try to turn it into a glancing blow instead of a full-on attack..."

"Berry, turn sideways!" Rina called out. While still falling through the air, Berry turned her body so she was falling sideways. Fearow's beak then finally struck her, causing her to cry out in pain as it slashed across her stomach. Berry was sent spiralling backwards through the air until she hit the ground and was seemingly knocked out. Oak's Fearow then landed next to her, looking triumphant.

Oak remained quiet for a moment, observing the battlefield, then sighed. "It seems you win." He said to Rina.

Rina blinked. "Huh?"

"That last attack almost definitely did not knock out your Butterfree." He said to her, at which point the bug type pokemon finally got up on its feet. Berry was badly injured, but still conscious. At the same time, Oak's Fearow suddenly collapsed. "My Fearow, on the other hand, could no longer endure the poison." Oak explained.

"Hehe...guess that means my desparate gambit actually paid off." Rina said, grinning sheepishly.

"In any case, I acknowledge your capabilities as a pokemon trainer." Oak said as he held out a pokeball and recalled his Fearow. "If you want to find Red, he is likely still at Mt. Silver, training against the powerful wild pokemon which reside there."

"Mt. Silver? Where's that?" Rina asked, having never heard of the place.

"It's near the Indigo Plateau, just beyond the border of Kanto and Johto." Oak said to her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some important work to get done."

"Well I was planning to go now anyway." Rina replied, then took out Berry's pokeball. "Berry, good job out there! Take a well-deserved rest!" Rina recalled Berry and placed the pokeball back on her belt, then took out another one and released Knight. Professor Oak gasped in shock when the alternate-color Dragonite appeared.

"Ok, Knight, we've found where Red is! We're heading to a place near Indigo Plateau!" Rina said to him. Knight nodded and crouched down so Rina could climb onto his back. Pippi then jumped up onto him and sat in front of Rina. Once both of them were mounted and holding on tight, Knight took off into the air and headed straight for Indigo Plateau.

"Its as if she chose the worst match-up just to add insult to injury when she beat me. And using a cheap strategy, no less!" Professor Oak said to himself. "What a rude and obnoxious little girl. I can't believe Ashley or Red would ever be friends with someone like that."

* * *

A little over an hour later, Rina passed over the Indigo Plateau while riding on Knight and could see Mt. Silver in the distance. Spotting a pokecenter near the base, though, she decided to have Knight set down there instead. She then went inside and, after recalling Knight, headed straight for the PC.

"Umm...right...how did this go again?" Rina wondered for a moment.

"-Usually Ashley is here to help us with this.-" Pippi said.

"I can handle this! It's just transferring Pokemon, she showed me a million times!" Rina messed around with the PC a bit, managing to get a few error screens before she finally managed to log in. At that point, she was able to use the touch screen interface to more easily switch pokemon. She placed a pokeball on the transfer pad next to the PC and pressed an on-screen button to activate it. The pokeball disappeared and another one soon appeared in its place.

"-What are you doing anyway?-" Pippi asked her.

"Professor Oak said the wild pokemon here are tough, and I deposited Deoxys, Jirachi, and Mew yesterday. So I'm getting them back now." Rina said. She then made two more switches to do just that, putting the three legendary pokemon into her team. "Ok! That takes care of that, now let's go explore that mountain."

Rina headed for the door, but as she was about to leave the automatic doors opened and an old fisherman walked into the pokecenter. He immediately spotted Rina and turned to face her.

"Young boy...how would you like to fish?"

"I...really never gave fishing any thought." Rina replied. _"I can see this boy thing is going to become a running gag too. I'm so getting rid of this hat when I get home. This must be how Melany feels..."_

"Good enough for me. Here." The old fisherman threw a fishing rod toward Rina. She clumsily managed to catch it. It looked like an ordinary fishing rod, but completely lacking a reel and the line ended with a pokeball. "I'm retiring." The fisherman added, then went and plopped down in one of the waiting room chairs.

"Pippi...do you get the feeling this was a contrived coincidence just to give me a fishing rod for some reason?" Rina asked, glancing back at the fisherman.

Pippi shrugged. "-Any importance it might have is lost on me.-"

"That makes two of us." Rina said to her. She then shrugged and left the pokecenter with Pippi following behind. The two of them set out for Mt. Silver, with Rina now carrying a fishing pole over her shoulder, but stopped when they saw a cave entrance near the base of the mountain.

"A cave...I bet we won't see anything but Zubats and Golbats in there." Rina said in a bored tone. "I thought we were supposed to find really powerful wild pokemon around here?"

"-They could be really powerful Zubats and Golbats?-" Pippi suggested. Rina let out an audible sigh.

"What do we have here? A young boy dares to challenge Mt. Silver?" A woman's voice said from out of nowhere.

"That voice...why does it sound familiar?" Rina wondered, looking around for the source of the voice.

"-I think someone's in the cave!-" Pippi said to Rina, then ran off ahead.

"Pippi! Wait up!" Rina called out, running off after her. Pippi eventually stopped when they reached the mouth of the cave. When Rina caught up with her, she could see three figures standing just inside the shadow of the cave.

One of the figures spoke, the same one Rina had heard before. "Well if it isn't little Rina...and here I thought a cute boy managed to make his way up here."

"Who are you?! Show yourself!"

"You should already know that...but we'll humor you." An older, red haired woman wearing glasses stepped out of the darkness. "I'm Lorelei of the Elite Four, my specialty is ice."

An old lady in a purple dress stepped out next, standing to the right of Lorelei. "I am Agatha. I specialize in ghost-type pokemon, dearie." A muscular man wearing only a pair of ragged-looking pants stepped out on Lorelei's left, but remained silent.

"The Elite Four?!" Rina said in disbelief, but quickly corrected herself. "Or...well...three of the Elite Four...what are you three doing here anyway?!"

"Oh? Didn't you know?" Lorelei said, chuckling to herself. "This place is where we elites come to train. Only the strongest trainers even stand a chance of surviving against the wild pokemon that live within the mountain."

"I keep hearing that..." Rina said indignantly. "I might not be one of the Elite Four, but I'm still pretty strong! There's no way I would lose to wild pokemon!"

"-I have a light ball. And electricity. And that mountain cave is probably just full of bat pokemon. I can probably take them all down in one Thunderbolt.-" Pippi added smugly.

"You seem quite confident in your abilities, child. What do you say to challenging us?" Agatha said to her. "A strong trainer such as yourself would be a decent workout for our pokemon, so what do you say to a one on one battle against each of us?"

"Well, I guess I'm not much of a hurry." Rina replied, scratching her head.

"Then I shall be your first opponent." Lorelei said, stepping away from the other two elites and taking a pokeball in her hand. She held it out and released a large, purple shell covered in spikes. "My Cloyster shall be your opponent."

"-I could probably take that down in one hit too.-" Pippi said, nodding to herself. "-Though, as much as I hate to say it, Volt Tackle would probably just hurt me...-"

"If I'm going up against the Elite Four, I definitely can't hold back!" Rina said, taking a pokeball from her belt. "Good thing I took my best pokemon then! Mew, you can take this one on! Go!" Rina held out the pokeball and released the legendary pokemon, Mew, from it. Mew twirled in the air, mewling happily.

"-This time I'll definitely win!-" Mew said, confident in spite of the competition.

"Interesting choice, but don't you think using a legendary pokemon like Mew against ordinary trainers is a bit unfair?" Lorelei said to her.

"It probably would be a bit unfair, but you're not an ordinary trainer." Rina said in response.

"Touche." Lorelei muttered. "Well, let's not waste anymore time. Cloyster, begin with Spike Cannon!" Cloyster quickly closed its shell and rapidly fired off a barrage of spikes from the top of its shell, firing five spikes in total.

"Mew, block with Psychic!" Mew's eyes lit up in a blue flash as it focused its psychic powers. One by one, a blue glow surrounded the five spikes and stopped them in mid-air. The final spike stopped just before hitting Mew.

"Nice block. But as long as Cloyster has its shell closed, you won't be able to hurt it." Lorelei said with a menacing-sounding laugh. "Meanwhile, Cloyster can continue to fire spikes at your pokemon and it will slip up eventually."

"I'm pretty sure a jolt of electricity could pass through it just fine." Rina whispered to Pippi. "But I'll play this her way..."

"-Is there any reason for that?-" Pippi asked out of curiosity. Rina shook her head.

"Lorelei, your Cloyster might be safe now, but what would you do if its attacks were aiming your way?" Rina asked, smirking.

"What would I...what?!"

"Mew! Turn Cloyster around with Psychic!" Mew's eyes flashed as it focused again. A blue aura surrounded Cloyster, spinning it around. With its shell closed, it couldn't manuever easily, nor could it even see where it was pointing. With Cloyster now aiming at Lorelei herself, she knew she couldn't call another attack until she got Cloyster turned around.

"Cloyster, open your shell and turn around." Lorelei ordered her pokemon, though she wondered if it would help her any. Cloyster opened its shell and peered about from inside, looking a bit embarassed when it found itself facing Lorelei. Moving the two halves of its shell like legs, it slowly began to turn around. "Well, you've managed to slightly inconvenience my pokemon, but how do you plan to defeat it?"

"Oh, well, I don't know if you know this or not, but Mew can learn pretty much any and every attack." Rina said to Lorelei. "So I've had a few of my pokemon tutor it."

"Oh? And what attack did it learn that you seem to think can defeat Cloyster?"

"Mew, Thunderbolt!" Rina called out, answering Lorelei's question. Mew put its hands together, generating electricity between them, then pointed one hand at Cloyster and fired a bolt of electricity as it finally turned to face it. Cloyster shrieked in pain as the bolt struck its black core, the full power of the bolt passing straight through it. Shortly after, its shell closed up and the pokemon clattered to the ground, unconscious. After firing the attack, Mew turned to Pippi and smiled.

"-You have learned well, my young apprentice.-" Pippi said, bowing to it.

"-Thank you, master.-" Mew replied, bowing in return. Rina smiled at the exchange.

Lorelei recalled her Cloyster and glared at Rina. "Damn you! To be defeated this easily...its a disgrace!" Lorelei growled. Frustrated, she turned to Bruno and pointed back at Rina. "Bruno, this one's all your's. Teach her a lesson!" Bruno nodded and remained silent as he walked past Lorelei, taking up position as Rina's next opponent.

"You know, I could be wrong, but I don't remember the Elite Four seeming this...mean." Rina said to Pippi and Mew. "Its almost like Lorelei turned evil and Bruno is under some kind of mind control."

"-I don't remember what they were like, really.-" Pippi said, scratching her head. "-Maybe the Elite Four really IS evil?-"

"Pippi...Lance is one of the Elite Four, remember?" Rina said to her. "Anyway, you can sit out this next match, Mew. I'll use a different pokemon."

"-Ok! I'm happy I had the chance to battle anyway!-" Mew replied. Rina then recalled Mew and placed its pokeball back on her belt. While she got another pokeball ready, Bruno had silently released his own pokemon, a Hitmonlee.

"Deoxys, go!" Rina called out, releasing the shape-shifting Deoxys to battle Hitmonlee. Deoxys was in its normal form, in which its most noticeable feature was the different arms on either side of its body. One ended in a four fingered hand, the other was actually two tendrils. In its normal form, Deoxys was fairly frail defensively but had a lot more speed and power than almost any other pokemon except itself in either speed or attack form.

"Hitmonlee, Blaze Kick." Bruno ordered groggily. Hitmonlee spun around and made a kicking motion from where it stood, several dozen feet away from Deoxys. As it kicked out with its right foot, it became enveloped in flames and stretched out toward the alien psychic pokemon.

"Deoxys, quick! Switch to defense form!" Deoxys' body began to distort and changed shape, becoming much larger and bulkier. When Hitmonlee's flaming foot finally struck it in the chest, Deoxys barely flinched. The attack had very little effect on it.

_"Phew...that was close...forgot Hitmonlee's legs could stretch like that."_ Rina thought, breathing a sigh of relief. _"Still..."_ Rina looked at Bruno's Hitmonlee with a puzzled expression. _"I thought only Blaziken could learn Blaze Kick? Could May's Blaziken teach Hiro that technique maybe?" _

"Mega Kick." Bruno commanded, sounding just as groggy as before. His Hitmonlee spun around again, throwing its foot toward Deoxys and putting its full power into the kick. Deoxys stumbled back a foot as the Hitmonlee kicked it in the chest with tremendous force, but it easily withstood the attack. In its defense form, Deoxys was easily one of the most durable pokemon in existance.

"Oh, right, the battle. Whoops." Rina grinned sheepishly. "Deoxys, switch to attack form now and use Psycho Boost." Energy began to crackle around Deoxys body as it began to shift, simultaneously changing into attack mode and powering up for a Psycho Boost. A crackling sphere of psychic energy had formed around it by the time it had shifted into attack form, a form with a similar build to its normal form but with greater attack power and even weaker defenses.

Deoxys stretched out its four limbs toward Hitmonlee and fired, sending a large blast of pure psychic energy at the fighting pokemon. Hitmonlee screamed as the energy struck it and began to pour into its body, inflicting tremendous pain on it. When the energy finally subsided, Hitmonlee collapsed to the ground. Being struck by the most powerful psychic attack, from the most powerful psychic pokemon, was too much for it.

"I've lost too." Bruno muttered, recalling his Hitmonlee and stepping aside. "Agatha." The old lady of the Elite Four stepped up in Bruno's place to fight Rina.

"You've been putting on quite the show, young lady. As expected of a trainer adopted by Lance."

"I barely talk to him, how could that have anything to do with it?" Rina asked in an annoyed tone. "On that note...where is he anyway? Why isn't he here if the rest of you are?"

"Lance prefers to do his training in Dragon Den." Agatha explained. "All of us have been training tirelessly ever since we lost three times in a row to trainers from Pallet Town..."

"Training tirelessly?" Rina blinked and looked at each of the Elite Four. "So then...you three haven't been getting much sleep, have you?"

"A few hours a night for me and Agatha, zip for Bruno here." Lorelei replied.

_"I guess that explains their odd behaviour then, anyone would be a little strange if they were getting so little sleep!"_ Rina thought, staring in disbelief.

"Now, shall we move on?" Agatha said while reaching into her pouch and pulling out a pokeball. She pressed the button, releasing her pokemon, but nothing seemed to come out at first. A ghost pokemon, Gengar, then soon rose from the ground in front of her.

"Deoxys, good job, but that's enough for now! Return!" Rina held out Deoxys pokeball and recalled it, then quickly switched it with another pokeball from her belt. "Jirachi, your turn now! Go!" She then called out, releasing Jirachi from its pokeball. Jirachi looked around and then quickly turned to face Rina.

"Rina, I have to say you have impeccable timing. That crazy girl on the island was planning to experiment on me to find out why I'm a steel-type pokemon!" Jirachi said to her.

"You're...a steel-type?" Rina asked, blinking.

"Apparently." Jirachi replied. "By the way, with that hat on you look like..."

"Don't say it." Rina bitterly interrupted Jirachi. "I've gotten that a lot today..."

"Hohoho. This one even talks, does it?" Agatha said to Rina. "You have quite the team of pokemon. I'll be interested in seeing what this one is capable of."

Jirachi turned around to face Agatha and Gengar, quickly looking over his opponent. "You know, I think this marks my first battle in several millenia. I might be a bit rusty at this." Jirachi said to Rina.

"-I hope you don't mean that literally.-" Pippi said, snickering. "-What with you being a steel-type and all.-"

"Don't worry about it, it's not a serious battle anyway." Rina assured it. "Now, let's start off with that technique! Doom Desire!" Jirachi nodded in agreement. The eye on its chest opened up and glowed briefly, then closed again, seemingly having no affect on Gengar.

"A useless gesture. Gengar, Hypnosis!" Gengar began emitting hypnotic, psychic energy waves at Jirachi. Jirachi felt its eyelids grow heavy and then dropped onto its back, falling into a deep sleep.

"Now...if its a steel-type, then Dream Eater is useless." Agatha said to herself. "Gengar, use Nightmare. Then, follow up with Curse."

Gengar held out its hands toward Jirachi, focusing a dark energy around it that seeped into the pokemon's dreams. Jirachi grimaced as the nightmares began and squirmed in its sleep. The dreams immediately started to take an effect on its body. Gengar continued to focus the dark energies, this time forming them into a pin to stab through itself. A dark aura then descended on Jirachi again, laying a curse on it.

"Now even if Jirachi wakes up, it will not last long enough to attack." Agatha said smugly. "I am afraid I win, young girl."

"Actually...about that, your pokemon still has to survive Doom Desire." Rina said to Agatha. Agatha raised an eyebrow, not understanding at first. Suddenly, darkness descended upon the area like an eclipse and a bright beam of light shot down from the sun and struck Agatha's Gengar. Gengar cried out in pain as the light engulfed its body. When the light faded, and the sky returned to normal, Gengar fell to the ground. The intense sunlight had dealt the finishing blow, courtesty of the damage Gengar inflicted on itself with Curse.

"I see...so that's Doom Desire." Agatha mused, recalling her Gengar. Rina recalled Jirachi likewise, before the combination of Curse and Nightmare could finish it off as well. "With pokemon like that on your side, you should have no problems in Mt. Silver."

"Well of course, Deoxys and Mew could easily beat up any wild pokemon that attack us." Rina replied. "By the way, you three didn't happen to see Red around, have you?"

"No one's seen Red in days..." Bruno mumbled, but Rina couldn't hear him from where she was standing. Lorelei repeated what Bruno had said so Rina would hear it.

"Hmm...I thought maybe you guys told him about using for training." Rina said to them, then shrugged. "Guess not then. By the way, you three should really consider getting some sleep."

"We don't have time for sleep. We need to get stronger." Lorelei replied.

"That might be true, but if I were to, say, challenge the Elite Four tomorrow...you guys would be pretty easy to beat right now." A smile crossed Rina's lips. "A fourth loss in a row would look even worse for you, you know."

The three elites stared at Rina in shock, realizing she was right and worried she might make good on her threat to challenge them with less than a day to prepare.

"Well! I'll be going into Mt. Silver now to train my pokemon to be unstoppable forces of nature!" Rina said happily. "Let's go, Pippi!" Rina and Pippi then moved past the Elite Four, heading into the cave entrance to Mt. Silver.

"Being shown up by a girl like that would be even worse for our reputation." Agatha said thoughtfully, glancing back at Rina. "We must rest up for tomorrow." Lorelei nodded in agreement, but Bruno made no response. He had managed to fall asleep while standing up.

* * *

"-You're not really planning to challenge the Elite Four tomorrow, are you?-" Pippi asked Rina.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to! I'm seven badges short, remember?" Rina replied, grinning sheepishly and placing her hands behind her hand. "Nope! I just thought it'd be good motivation for those three to get some rest."

"-Oh.-" Pippi said, snapping her fingers in disappointment. "-So much for that then. By the way, if Red's training here then isn't it odd that those three wouldn't have seen him?-"

"He must be training deeper inside than they were." Rina replied.

The inside of Mt. Silver was large and cavernous, with hills rising and falling all around them. There was even a waterfall in the cave, just to the right from where Rina and Pippi entered. Remembering her recently acquired fishing rod, Rina approached the body of water gathered under the waterfall.

"Couldn't hurt to try a bit of fishing while we're here." Rina said cheerfully. She sat down near the edge of the water and cast off with her rod, sending the pokeball hooked on the end into the water.

"-I wonder what kind of wild pokemon are in this cave anyway?-" Pippi said, looking around. "-I don't see any, but they're supposed to be tough, right?-"

"We keep hearing that." Rina replied quietly. "Anyway, keep it down or else you'll scare the fish." Pippi blinked in confusion, but kept quiet as Rina had asked.

Rina sat in silence, patiently waiting for a pokemon to snag the line. Minutes went by without so much as a ripple in the water near the floating pokeball. Pippi began to grow bored and flopped down on ground. Even the wild pokemon in the cave didn't seem to be bothering them. Or at least, Rina and Pippi didn't see any wild pokemon around.

Eventually, though, one pokemon did take an interest in them. A Misdreavus floated up to them from behind, regarding Rina and Pippi curious through eyes that looked as though they were still half-asleep. _"A young trainer and his pokemon, huh?"_ The ghost pokemon thought. _"Well, since I'm up anyway, a snack couldn't hurt..."_

The Misdreavus floated closer to them until it was hovering almost directly over Pippi. Still unnoticed, the ghost pokemon let out a creepy, sobbing cry, startling Rina and sending a shiver down her spine.

"What was that?!" Rina shrieked, bolting up and turning around. She tensed when she saw the ghost pokemon floating behind her, remembering the last time she encountered a ghost. "Pippi! It's a wild pokemon! Why aren't you doing anything about it?!"

"-Hmm?-" Pippi slowly stood up and looked at the Misdreavus floating over her. "-This guy?-" Pippi shrugged. "-I don't know, he just doesn't seem very threatening compared to that Haunter...-"

"-H-hey now! I just woke up!-" The Misdreavus countered frantically. "-If I had a good day's sleep I'd scare you both witless and happily drink of your fear!-"

"'Drink of your fear'?" Rina blinked. "Okay...that's just a bit creepy."

"-EEK! You heard that?!-" Misdreavus shrieked. "-What kind of monster are you!?-"

"I'm not a monster, I'm just able to understand pokemon." Rina said to Misdreavus. "Anyway...if you usually sleep during the day, why are you up now?"

"-Ugh! Someone pissed off one of those stupid Ursaring.-" Misdreavus replied, looking off into the cavern. "-Something poisoned it, probably a Golbat, and now its wrecking everything in sight.-"

"-Wouldn't it just faint eventually from the poison?-" Pippi asked.

"-Probably has already, but that didn't stop it from waking me up.-" Misdreavus said bitterly, then looked at Rina. "-Hey! You're a trainer, right? Do something about that Ursaring, will ya?-"

"Hmm..." Rina thought for a moment and looked back at where she dropped her fishing rod. "Well, guess I wasn't going to catch anything anyway."

"-Maybe there was a good reason he was retiring. Maybe his fishing rod just isn't that good?-" Pippi suggested.

Rina picked up her fishing rod and stuck it through the back of her tunic, making it look like it was strapped to her back, then turned and nodded to Misdreavus. "Ok, take us to where this Ursaring is."

The Misdreavus nodded and lead Rina and Pippi deeper into Mt. Silver, passing through several sub-caves and similar structures within the large cavern. Eventually they started to come across the remains of large boulders, shattered into pieces, and shredded leather-like tissue scattered about that might have been a Golbat at one point. Rina shuddered at the thought of the fate the Golbat met, torn to pieces by an Ursaring that it had enraged.

"Ursaring must be a pretty strong pokemon..." Rina noted grimly.

"-It doesn't help matters any that a poisoned Ursaring is even stronger.-" Misdreavus said to her. "-I'm rather thankful I'm a ghost. I've seen some Ursaring around here that will come just short of killing their own cubs after one of those stupid bats gets the bright idea to attack them.-"

"I can't imagine any pokemon being that violent..."

"-Normally, they aren't. They're usually quiet and keep to themselves.-" Misdreavus said. "-However, the Ursaring around here tend to fly into a rage if they've been poisoned. Also, you do not want to mess with their cubs.-"

"Her voice is really starting to creep me out." Pippi thought to herself, shivering. When it spoke, Misdreavus sounded like it was crying or wailing, much like the sound it had made to startle Rina earlier. It didn't bother Pippi at first, but hearing Misdreavus speaking over and over was starting to get to her.

"-There it is there.-" Misdreavus said to them, then quickly moved behind them. The wild Ursaring was unconscious on the ground with a wild Donphan unconscious next to it. The Ursaring was snoring loudly, indicating that it was asleep rather than knocked out.

"Looks like it calmed down and went to sleep after fighting that Donphan." Rina noted. "Guess there's no need for us to get involved afterall."

"-What if its just using Rest to heal?-" Pippi said to Rina, crouching down and getting ready to fight. "-We can't relax if we don't know for sure!-"

"You're right." Rina folded her arms over her chest. "Hmm...should I catch it then, just to be sure?"

"-You left your backpack at home though...-"

Rina hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Knew I should have grabbed that...but I have one pokeball at least." Rina took a purple and white pokeball from a side belt clip. It was the Master Ball she received from the president of Silph, which she kept with her incase of an emergency after hearing from May how she ended up catching her Salamence.

"-Is this really something you want to use the Master Ball on, though?-" Pippi asked her. "-I mean, it's not exactly a threat while it's still asleep...-"

As Pippi was saying this, the Ursaring up ahead from them started to wake up. It let out a low growl as it opened its eyes and stood up. It eyed the unconscious Donphan lying next to it with a look of hatred, then glanced back and spotted Rina and Pippi. The Misdreavus, meanwhile, quickly snuck off into the darkness, grinning to itself.

"W-well, it's awake now!" Rina pointed out. "Think you can take it, Pippi?"

"-Of course I can!-" Pippi replied, grinning widely as sparks shot out from her white cheeks. "-Just one Volt Tackle and I'll have it out cold!-"

The Ursaring let out an enraged roar and charged toward the two.

"Forget the Volt Tackle! Paralyze it with Thunder Wave!" Rina said to her.

Pippi rolled her eyes. "-Fine.-" Pippi pointed her hands at the charging Ursaring and fired a pulse of electricity. The electricity passed through Ursaring's body, causing it to drop to its knees as paralysis spread through it with only a few feet between itself and Pippi. This didn't stop it, though. Letting out another enraged roar, and with a fire burning in its eyes, the Ursaring lashed out at Pippi with its claws. Its claws raked across the front of her body, throwing her back past and knocking her out instantly. The Ursaring fell onto its stomach from the paralysis soon after, but was now mere feet from Rina herself.

"Pippi!" Rina cried frantically. She quickly reached for Pippi's pokeball and recalled her. When she turned around to face the Ursaring again, it was lashing out at her now.

"EEK!" Rina fell back, barely avoiding the Ursaring's claws as they lashed out toward her waist and cut through the fabric of her tunic. Ursaring reached out to attack with its other hand, but Rina quickly crawled away and then got up and ran. She came upon a rocky slope leading up to a ledge and climbed up it. The Ursaring soon got up and chased after her, but Rina was just out of its reach when she backed away from the edge of the rock. The hill was too steep for Ursaring to climb in its paralyzed state.

"Phew...looks like I'm safe up here at least." Rina said to herself. The ledge was only a few feet wide and from where she was sitting she could only see the pokemon's claws swatting at the air. "I don't think I've ever been this scared of a pokemon before, I can see why they only let strong trainers in here..."

Rina sighed to herself, then reached for her belt. Now that she was finally safe, she could send out a pokemon to fight Ursaring. When she reached for a pokeball, though, she found herself grabbing at empty air. Looking around frantically, she spotted her belt on the lower level she just climbed up from. The Ursaring managed to slash it off in its near miss.

"Wha! Great, now I'm stuck up here!" Rina said in dismay. "If only I had my backpack, then I would at least have something to catch it..." Rina paused and looked down at her hand, still clutching the Master Ball. "...with." Rina looked toward the edge of ledge she was on, where the Ursaring's claws could still be seen swiping at the air

"Still...from this angle, I can't see it very well. If only I had something to tie the Master Ball to just incase I miss." Rina said to herself, then reached back and pulled out her fishing rod._ "This can't be just a coincidence."_ She thought, removing the pokeball from the end of the rod and attaching the Master Ball in its place. She then cast the rod toward the attacking Ursaring, hitting the bear pokemon in the head on her first try. The Master Ball opened and pulled Ursaring inside, then used its special locking mechanism to seal the pokemon inside without any chance of it breaking free. The ball then glowed white and vanished, sending Ursaring off to the Sanctuary.

"Well! Guess that's Melany's problem now!" Rina said to herself as she stood up and placed the rod in the back of her tunic again. "I just hope she doesn't decide to let it out of the Master Ball as soon as it arrives there. Not without other pokemon with her at least." Rina then looked down at herself to survey the damage from Ursaring's claws. She had managed to avoid getting scratched at all, but the side of her tunic and pants had three diagonal rips from it. Her panties, now visible through that gash, had managed to avoid being damaged as well. Still, Rina decided to remove her hat and hold it over the rip to preserve her modesty.

"Rina? Is that you up there?" A male voice asked. Rina froze and slowly turned her head to the source of the voice in very jerky movements. Red, the boy she had come all the way to Mt. Silver to see, was on the ground below her now and standing near her pokeball belt. He was surprised to see her there. "What are you doing here?" He asked. "You didn't come to train, did you?"

"Err...no...actually, I..." Rina blushed slightly and turned away. "I was just curious, that's all!"

"Mt. Silver is no place for curiosity." Red replied tersely, bending down to pick up Rina's pokeball belt. "I came when I heard someone screaming, but you seem to be fine now. So just forget you saw me here and go."

"Forget I saw you here?"

"I don't need visitors dropping by while I'm here training." Red said to her. He walked closer to the ledge she was standing on and tossed the belt up to her. Rina didn't dare make a move to catch it for fear of dropping her hat in the process.

"Just...just how long do you plan to stay holed up in Mt. Silver for?" Rina asked him.

"Until I can beat someone as powerful as Drake on my own." He said, turning away from her. "I want the power to overcome anyone who abuses pokemon for their own selfish and misguided goals. Only when I'm confident I've achieved that power will I be ready to leave. Until then, this is goodbye. Again." Red then started to walk away.

"...That's it?" Rina called out after him, causing him to stop in his tracks for a moment. Rina quickly picked up her pokeball belt and slid down the steep slope of the ledge, clutching her hat tightly against her side. "Red...the real reason I came here was because I was looking for you! Do you have any idea what I've been through?!" Rina yelled at him.

"Just why was it so necessary for you to find me that you came to a place like this?" Red asked her without looking back.

"Because...because..." Rina struggled with the words, working up the courage to say it. "Because I like you, Red! You care for pokemon, and I can tell you're a really nice guy deep down, and...and...you're really good looking too!"

"...I already knew that, you didn't exactly make an effort to hide it." Red said to her.

"You're right, I didn't hide it, but I never came out and said it either." Rina said to him. "I came here because I wanted to tell you how I feel. But what about you?"

"What do you mean by that?" Red asked, looking back at her.

"Do you like me? Do you hate me? Do you just think of me as a friend? Do you even think of me at all? Or are you even able to be honest with me?" Red clenched his fist, but couldn't muster a response. Feeling it was the only answer she was going to get, Rina turned and started to leave. "Well, I won't have any trouble sleeping tonight." She said to herself as she made her way back toward the exit. Red turned and watched her leave, unable to bring himself to say anything.

_"Rina...you're right."_ Red thought. _"I couldn't bring myself to tell you how I felt...in fact, I'm not even sure how I feel. I always told myself that it didn't matter, that you would find someone else. And maybe you will. But even if that happens, I promise I'll decide for myself how I feel. And I'll tell you myself, just like you came here to tell me today..."_

* * *

Author's Notes: When I first thought up the concept for this chapter it was basically "Rina goes to see Red at Mt. Silver". Then at some point the idea that Rina was searching for the "missing Red" popped into my head, and from there...well, you can see what happened after that. It fits though, since Rina is basically Yellow from the manga only with the ability to understand pokemon speech instead of reading their mind or healing them.

Also, as some people might have noticed, I make an effort to depict relationships realistically. Far from perfect, I'm sure, but it didn't make sense for Red to really have any feelings toward Rina at this point. While it wouldn't be fair to say there's nothing there, Red's still...Red. He respects Rina's feelings for him, but doesn't necessarily share the same feelings in return. At least, not at this point.

Was going to close out this chapter with a joke of sorts relating to Melany, but the ending scene with Red and Rina wasn't going to be so serious either. It was originally intended to end at the top of Mt. Silver, Rina confessing to Red, and Red saying its hard to take her seriously when her hat makes her look so androgynous, followed by Red getting hit in the head by a pokeball on a fishing line.

Well anyway, next chapter will be something very different. It's going to involve two or more characters. Talking. All known already, none of them main characters, and talking about several close acquaintences that aren't main characters either. Yeah, I could probably be a bit more vague about this, I'm sure. I want to say where the conversation is taking place, but that'd make it too obvious who the next chapter is starring.


	8. Chapter 8: Where Are They Now?

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company.**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Eight**

**Where Are They Now?**

All had been quiet in the regions of Hoenn and Kanto, ever since the defeat of the major criminal organizations. But what became of these organizations? Their leaders?

In a quiet bar in Oldale, Hoenn, the leader of one such organization enjoyed a quiet drink. Amber bottle in hand, the red haired man took a sip while he directed his attention to a tv mounted in the corner. The voice of a female reporter could be heard while different images were displayed on the screen.

"It has been over a week since the tower's collapse and police are still looking for clues. Recent evidence discovered in the wreckage suggests the explosion was internal. Damage has been found on pieces of an upper level floor, which had been closed off prior to the collapse. The damage is consistent with that caused by a pokemon battle. Construction crews will be around later in the week to remove what remains of the tower, as well as the debris."

Ever since the explosion Trainer's Hill, the news has had a segment to keep the people of Hoenn updated on any developments. Most of Hoenn was still in the dark about the events that had transpired that day. With seemingly no bodies or victims at the scene, it had left the Mauville police force baffled.

"Man, it seems nowhere is safe these days." Another young man sitting on a nearby stool said. "I heard the Trainer Tower in the Sevii Islands had the same thing happen. I wouldn't be surprised now if it turned out the Frontier Brains were all corrupt too. What's with these guys using battle facilities like that?"

"They attract strong trainers, trainers they could potentially recruit." The red haired man said without even looking over. "When they see a strong trainer they could bend to their ways, they convince them to join."

"Eh?" The young man turned to look at him. "You think that's it?"

"It seems logical at any rate." The red haired man replied, taking another swig from his bottle. _"Perhaps if I had used such a method to find more valuable recruits, I would not have tasted defeat so often."_ He thought to himself. _"But even so...that wouldn't have changed the end result. I was a fool to try to control Groudon..."_

"Mind if an old sea dog joins you for a drink?" A familiar voice snapped the ex-Team Magma leader, Maxie, out of his thoughts. He looked up to see his old rival, Archie, ex-leader of Team Aqua, sitting at the stool next to him. "Get me yer strongest ale." Archie said to the barman. A mug of ale was soon placed before him.

"Small region afterall." Maxie said quietly. "And just where have you been hiding since that incident?"

"Where else? Out at sea." Archie replied gruffly. He raised his mug to his mouth, taking in the scent of the ale before downing more than a quarter of it in one gulp.

"You haven't changed a bit." Maxie said to him. "Its always about the sea with you."

"Damn straight." Archie said to him, setting his mug down hard. "I've even been thinking since that time, thinking that I should be worrying about the sea we already have instead of trying to make more of it."

"I take it back. Thinking is so unlike you." Maxie said jokingly. "Still, perhaps that line of thinking would have suited us before we sought to awaken the legendary pokemon."

"Or before we formed our 'teams'." Archie looked over at Maxie from the corner of his eye. "You know, I've heard some of the old members of Team Aqua and Team Magma have been trying to get together again. In fact, Matt was going to move back into the old hideout but was chased off by a vicious Huntail belonging to a girl claiming it as her 'secret base', whatever that is."

"Well, the old Magma hideout at Mt. Chimney was sealed by a tremor, so no one from my old team will be using it anytime soon at least."

"We now go to the recently reinstated Officer Dirk for the recent findings regarding the battle that took place." The scene on the tv switched to a police officer with long, black hair and a sharp look in his eyes. Maxie and Archie remained silent, both listening intently to the findings.

"Recent footprint analysis suggests a small group of pokemon, likely trained, made their way into the tower." The officer on the tv said. "There are two easily recognizeable sets of footprints both outside and inside, however. They seem to belong to a Sceptile and a Blaziken, suggesting the same pokemon that fought outside the tower were on the top floor and locked in combat prior to the explosions. Several other footprints were found belonging to pokemon fighting alongside them, but they appear to belong to pokemon not from the Hoenn region."

"A Blaziken and a Sceptile..." Archie repeated under his breath. "It couldn't have been..."

"I have no doubt it was, my friend." Maxie said to him. "No doubt it was..."

* * *

At the top of Mt. Silver, Red shielded his eyes against the blowing snow. The conditions up there were tough on both trainer and pokemon, making it the perfect place for him and his team to get down to some serious training. It was mere days after his battle with Drake, but Red's thoughts this day would wander to a different criminal.

_"Wonder if I should have brought a jacket?"_ Red thought, then shook his head. _"No, this training is for me just as much as it is for my pokemon."_

Red took his pokeballs from his belt, releasing each of his pokemon one by one. Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Pikachu, Espeon, and Snorlax emerged from their pokeballs. His team remained unchanged, save for his Pikachu now lacking a Light Ball.

"Alright, team, same training pairs as always." Red said to his pokemon. The six of them nodded in unison and paired off. Pikachu was paired with Venusaur, Charizard with Snorlax, and Blastoise with Espeon. The pairings ensured that no pokemon had a type advantage against the other so they could train longer. Red's pokemon, too, could feel the snow blowing against them.

_"With the almost constant snowstorms up here, maybe I should be training an ice-type?"_ Red thought, the faintest of smirks forming. _"I do have that Lapras that one of the employees of Silph gave me back when Team Rocket was..."_ Red lost his train of thought for a moment when he recalled that name.

_"Team Rocket...I'd like to think they're gone for good now...but the Rockets I ran into in the Sevii Islands managed to escape. And there's still... him..."_ Red closed his eyes, thinking back to his last encounter with Team Rocket's leader.

_"I am completely at your mercy, it seems. So what will you do?" Giovanni's question that day echoed through Red's mind. The answer seemed obvious at first, he would turn Giovanni over to the authorities. He hesitated, but he didn't think it'd matter. Giovanni was helpless after Red battled him for his Earth Badge, not a pokemon left to defend himself with while Red's Pikachu was ready to attack if Giovanni made any move to escape._

_"Time's up, Red." were the next words out of Giovanni's mouth. Before Red could question his statement, Giovanni pulled an object out of his pocket and a blinding flash filled the gym. Red and his Pikachu were rendered blind by the flash._

_"Did you really think I didn't have an escape plan?" Giovanni said, his laughter filling the gym. "Until we meet again, Red!" Pikachu blindly fired a Thunder Wave while still blinded, trying to stop Giovanni. When their vision returned, though, Giovanni was long gone._

"I failed to catch Giovanni that day...but after that, can he or anyone for that matter really bring Team Rocket back now?" Red thought. He finally opened his eyes again and saw his pokemon standing around, looking at him curiously while waiting for the order to start training.

"...Sorry about that, spaced out a bit." Red said to them. "Alright, let's hop to it. Next time we come across a guy like Drake, it'll be them that gets stomped to the curb." His six pokemon cheered in agreement and quickly spread out and began their training, firing attacks at each other in a mock battle. Red couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm.

_"Whether its Giovanni, or someone like Drake, me and my pokemon will be ready next time."_

* * *

Of all the criminal organizations and terrorist groups that had been fought, only one had almost every member imprisoned at the high security prison near Indigo Plateau. The prison was situated there so that the Elite Four themselves could respond immediately to a prison break. There was usually at least one elite still at the plateau, if not then the furthest they would be from the facility would be Mt. Silver where they go to train.

All but two members of the Grand Hunters, not including Drake himself, were kept at the Indigo Prison. It had been a while since they had all been caught and the warden there had finally received their sentencing. Someone else had been wanting to see the sentences for the ex-hunters as well, and now the head warden waited in his office for that person to arrive.

"Thirteen members, two recent recruits, and the man behind it all. Sixteen individuals associated with the Grand Hunters in total." The warden mumbled to himself, reading the report summary. "And only one unaccounted for. Just how is it that this Galactica person is the one to evade us anyway?" The warden, a rounded man easily in his fifties wearing a white shirt and brown suspenders, shook his head sadly at this realization. He then heard a knock at the door to his office.

"Come in." The warden commanded in a gruff voice. The door opened and Lance, the dragon tamer of the Elite Four, stepped inside. "Figured it'd be you."

"Yes. I'm eager to hear the report." Lance said, sitting down in a chair opposite the warden. The man offered Lance a cigarette, but he put up his hand in refusal. "You know I don't smoke."

"Of course, of course..." The warden withdrew the cigarette and then held up a lighter and lit it for himself. He held the cigarette in his mouth and took a long draw from it before he spoke again. "Well, let's get down to business then, shall we?"

"Yes, let's." Lance replied impatiently.

The warden held up the report, consisting of several papers stapled together, and began to read it off. "Well, first on the list are the hunters known as Yin and Yang. Their names apparently don't mean much aside from the fact that they always work together. Even before they were recruited as hunters they worked as a duet for a magic act, with Yin the stage girl and Yang the magician. They didn't go by those names back then, of course. Jasmine and Jackson were their names."

"Sounds like they started out innocently enough." Lance noted.

"Not so, my friend." The warden replied, shaking his head. "The act was, well, an act. During their show they'd pick out an audience member to assist in the act, fairly typical routine. But while they were onstage, the two would pick the selected individual's pockets, robbing them of wallets or even pokeballs. There's 32 counts of theft resulting from that, in addition to 13 counts of pokemon theft."

"And they're only being convicted of this now?" Lance asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They were never caught, they confessed to those crimes during interrogation in hopes of a lighter sentence." The warden said. "Of course, considering they've committed 21 more counts of pokemon theft and 3 counts of murder since then, they're still getting fifteen years in prison before they can apply for parole."

"I would assume that's the least any of them would get." Lance said. "If I recall, each of the hunters had a criminal record even before they became hunters."

"Heh heh...wrong on both accounts actually." The warden said to him, taking a quick look at the report. "In fact, the next on the list is the one that didn't have a criminal record. Shocks, previously known as 'Bob the Bounty Hunter'."

"Bob the Bounty Hunter...I recall that name." Lance said, thinking back. "Though he always brought in the target alive, his methods were often considered underhanded and he was incredibly cold to his targets. Only cared about the money, apparently. It wouldn't surprise me to find he would join a criminal organization for the right price."

"Turns out, that's exactly what happened." The warden said to him. "Prior to joining the hunters he was clean though decidedly unfriendly. His record since then, though, includes 8 counts of pokemon theft and 8 counts of murder. He always went after a specific target, capturing the pokemon at a time when he wouldn't have to draw the owner into combat, then order it to kill its own trainer." The warden paused for a moment, letting that sink in before he continued. "It was a common tactic among the hunters, but only Shocks specifically made it a habit. He'll be in for life, no parole."

"So in the end, greed was his downfall." Lance said quietly. "If nothing else, he could have avoided jail if he stayed a bounty hunter instead."

"Aye. And next up is Aqua." The warden said, continuing down the list. "Real name is Stephanie, an infamous pokemon poacher even before joining the hunters."

"In other words, she was a prime candidate from the beginning." Lance said, nodding. "Go on."

"Well, this one didn't actually murder anyone as it turns out. Three charges of assault, though. She roughed up three Safari Zone rangers over the course of her career. Overall, 71 pokemon were illegally taken from the Safari Zone and other protected areas by her, on top of 8 pokemon stolen from trainers."

"That's certainly quite the number." Lance said, wrinkling his nose. "If it's just wild pokemon, though, one would think they could have just captured them the good old fashioned way."

"Well, apparently they weren't too keen on following the Safari Zone rules." The warden said to Lance. "She was brought in when she attempted to steal a herd of Tauros from the Safari Zone using some new fangled device that fired slave collars."

"Of course." Lance replied, nodding to him. "I know the incident well, the trainer who brought her in is also a close friend of my adopted daughter."

The warden chuckled. "Most of these hunters were brought in by those two. Seems they make the same mistake as most criminals, underestimating kids. A stupid mistake, of course, considering there's kids their age running gyms." He then smirked at Lance. "And the Elite Four, these days."

Lance shook his head sadly. "That one still has a lot to learn, but he's getting better I suppose."

"Then there's Dice, real name Matthew. He was a gambler that made it onto several casino and game corner blacklists. He was very good at rigging the machines in his favor."

"Not much of a gambler if he makes his own luck."

"Even so, he was good at what he did." The warden replied, continuing his reading of Dice's profile. "We first realized he was a member of the hunters when a pokemon accompanying, a Kadabra at the time, was wearing a slave collar concealed under a scarf. He escaped after. We now know that he was selected for his knowledge of gambling and game corners in general to obtain the pokemon handed out as prizes. There's also five murders attributed to him. He's getting life in prison, followed by five years of volunteer work for the casinos under the watchful eye of the police."

"That last part wasn't the court's idea, was it?"

"A request by the casinos, of course." The warden said to him. Lance shook his head sadly.

"Some of those places really love to throw their weight around...just how many did he hit anyway?"

"He's been to game corners in at least six known regions, including both Kanto and Johto, before he settled down in Celadon due to his work as a hunter." The warden said. "The Celadon Game Corner was left relatively untouched, though. Apparently they had a deal with the rockets."

"Of course. I've heard of their dealings with each other. Team Rocket hired out the hunters to track down some particularly rare pokemon, as I understand it." Lance smirked and shook his head. "Of course, they found those pokemon and kept them for themselves." Lance's smirk quickly faded as he looked back at the warden. "About those murders...any of them police officers?"

"You're asking because of the Espeon he had before he was turned in, correct?" The warden asked him. Lance nodded. "I'm afraid it wasn't him, he simply was assigned that pokemon sometime after their murder." He replied, shaking his head.

Lance narrowed his eyes. "I see...so is the one called 'Serpent' responsible then or is it the same story with her as well?"

"Serpent doesn't appear to have a notable history of crime, just a cruel but powerful trainer named Clair before joining the hunters." The warden said, grinning slightly when he noticed Lance flinch at the name. "That must be quite a horrible coincidence for you, since you have a cousin by the same name who's also in training to be a dragon tamer."

"Clair is too hot headed for her own good, but she's not a bad kid." Lance said, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. "It is disturbing to think this 'Serpent', who took hold of my friend's Dragonair, is also named Clair, but it is still just a coincidence."

"Aye, and like you suspected, the Dragonair was just assigned to her after its trainer was killed." The warden said to him. "She was a relatively new recruit it seems, one murder and four pokemon stolen from the victim. They're charging her with pokemon cruelty though, too, since she's confessed to brutally beating her own pokemon before becoming a hunter. Life sentence for her and, though this goes without saying, her trainer's license is suspended for life."

"Trainers like that really tick me off." Lance muttered through clenched teeth. "Still not the trainer I'm looking for though...I suppose that leaves the higher ups?"

"Right you are, right you are." The warden said, reading down the list again. "Fire, Freeze, Thunder, and Mystique. Galactica is still on the missing, unfortunately. We were hoping to add her to this report before it was finalized..."

"Yes, unfortunately she somehow managed to slip past both champions." Lance sighed and shook his head. "If nothing else, there are no more pokemon of legend left for her to gain any power from."

"Even so, she could still be trouble. Police departments in both the Kanto and Johto regions are keeping an eye out for her."

"And what about Hoenn?" Lance asked. "We can't ignore the possibility that she's gone to another region, and in Hoenn there has been hunter activity up until the collapse of the Trainer Hill near Mauville."

"The league's governing body will get around to that eventually I'm sure." The warden assured him. "In any case, doesn't look like any of these four were the killers either. I doubt you'd recognize any of their names for that matter. Roland, Victor, Arthur, and Celine respectively. I don't have any info on Galactica here, since she wasn't included in the report, but I'd assume she's in the same boat as those four."

"And that is?" Lance asked, raising an eyebrow.

"All black market dealers." The warden said. "In other words, the 'top five' of the hunters were the ones providing the group with their connection to the black market, and have very little activity outside of that. No murders, no thefts. They just deal with the goods stolen by the lower-ranking hunters and boss them around. Seems they've dealt in some human trafficking too..." The warden paused for a moment to look at Lance. "Lance...did you know about any of this before you decided to allow those two young girls to go after them on their own?"

"No..." Lance replied, then shrugged. "It would have made little difference. Their lives were on the line as it was, and even if I told them to keep out of it they would not have listened. They were also our best chance at catching the hunters as it turned out. They fled at the first sight of gym leaders or police, but considered Ashley and Rina to be potential targets instead."

"Its funny to think now that Kanto's drastically lowered crime rates are thanks to three kids." The warden said, chuckling to himself and shaking his head. "Team Rocket taken down by Red, and the hunters and a bike gang taken down by Ashley and Rina. Though I hear you took some flack from the league for allowing this."

"That was to be expected." Lance replied, grimacing as he remembered what he went through with the league. "Though I would prefer not to say it, Red and Ashley defeating the Elite Four turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me. Between knowingly allowing them to chase down criminals and neglecting Rina while trying to do so myself, the league intended to have me removed. After Red and Ashley proved their capabilities by defeating the Elite Four they decided to drop the issue and left me with a stern warning instead."

"What was the final decision on that issue of enlisting the help of other trainers?"

"Apparently it will be overlooked from now on, provided the trainer is accompanied by a league official." Lance replied. "I doubt it will be an issue at this point."

"Ah, but you never know. Team Rocket or the hunters might not be gone for good." The warden reminded him. "By the way, did you know the hunters enlisted two more trainers while in Hoenn?"

"I heard something to that effect, yes." Lance replied, nodding. "A boy named Vito and a girl named Jessica, apparently hired on due to their history with two girls by the name of Melany and May. Heard of either of them?"

The warden chuckled. "Well, who doesn't know May? 10-year old girl from Johto, blazed through the gym leaders of Hoenn, the Elite Four, and a local tournament in which she faced a legendary pokemon of phenomenal strength, all without breaking a sweat."

"I hear her father made quite the impression as a gym leader, perhaps that sort of talent just runs in her family?" Lance suggested with a shrug. "In any case, who else is left on that list of your's? Actually..." Lance looked at the warden intently. "Just tell me which one is responsible for the murder of Rina's parents."

"Well that..." The warden took a quick glance at the list. "That would seem to be the leader himself, or rather the man we thought was the leader."

"I should have guessed as much." Lance replied, clenching a fist as he tried to suppress his anger. "Well what else is he responsible for then aside from the murder of two police officers?"

"Well...erm..." The warden set down the report and scratched the back of his head. Pondering for a moment, he eventually picked it up and handed the report to Lance. "Perhaps you should read that for yourself..."

Lance raised an eyebrow but accepted the papers none the less. He quickly skimmed down to the section on Duke and read it over. He then read it over several more times, trying to make sense of the text on the page.

"This...they must be joking. Seven murder victims came forth to say he ordered a pokemon to kill them, all monks worshipping the legendary pokemon Ho-Oh?"

"Aye...seems the very pokemon they worship brought them all back to life." The warden shook his head. "It ain't right if you ask me. Its terrible that they died in the first place but the dead should stay dead."

"Somehow I doubt the offer is available to everyone." Lance quietly said in a sorrowful tone.

"Anyway, read what he's got coming to him."

Lance looked at the warden curiously before turning his eyes back toward the report. Again he received a shock as he read the words on the page and quickly stood up and slammed his hands down on the desk. "What's the meaning of this?!"

"Don't ask me, I had nothing to do with it." The warden replied, folding his arms over his chest. Lance backed down, flopping back into the chair in exasperation. He was quiet for a moment, holding the paper up to read it again.

"It's been decades since anyone had been sentenced to an execution, even the worst offenders are usually just locked away for life." Lance muttered to himself, shaking his head. "But this...to execute someone is one thing...but they want to make it public and broadcast it live?!"

"Seems they intend to send out as strong a message as they can to anyone who might follow in his footsteps." The warden said quietly. The news was a shock to him as well, though he certainly understood the reasons. "Between Giovanni leading Team Rocket, and the ex-Champion Duke directing the hunters in Kanto, it'd look pretty bad for the league if they didn't distance themselves from it somehow. But even so..."

"I'll oppose this." Lance said quietly. His voice began to rise as he continued. "Even if I don't have as much influence in the league as I used to, I won't stand for this!"

"I suppose Gary holds more influence these days, unfortunately." The warden said, shaking his head sadly. "I wonder what he would say about it?"

"That's his decision to make I suppose, I just hope he will do the right thing." Lance replied. "By the way...isn't there someone missing from this report besides Galactica?"

"You mean the young girl, Flare?" The warden chuckled. "Or rather, Nina I should say. I hear that one came pretty close to defeating Ashley and Rina, and she's the same age as Ashley. Go figure."

"Yes, well, why wasn't she included in the report then?" Lance asked.

"Well, I suppose that would be because of her age and mental stability...or lack of." The warden scratched his head. "I don't get why they'd recruit someone like her. She didn't bring anything to the hunters except pyromania and slight megalomania. Her only crimes involve arson, with two deaths resulting but were deemed accidental at the time."

"So she's a pyromaniac but she got away with murder." Lance grimly intoned.

"Well...this is back when she was only eight." The warden explained. "Own house burned down. She managed to escape, but both her parents died in the fire. Officials decided the girl was probably just playing with matches or something and didn't fault her any as a result. She was put up in an orphanage temporarily but then disappeared shortly after."

"Perhaps that was when they recruited her and the megalomania simply results from conditioning she's gone through." Lance suggested with a shrug. "Where is she now then, in any case?"

"Where else? She's been placed in a psychiatric hospital in Johto to receive treatment. Institute of the Calm Mind they call it I think. Give it some time and she'll be back to normal, whatever that means for her."

"I see." Lance set the report down on the warden's desk and stood up. "Well, thanks for the information at any rate. I'll pass on the news of Duke's fate to the other elites, see how they take it."

"Anytime, I look forward to seeing how that turns out." The warden replied.

After saying goodbye, Lance turned and left the office.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a darkened room in that very psychiatric hospital, a blonde-haired teenage girl sat with her head lowered to the floor. Her hands and feet were locked together in a metal clamp, preventing her from moving, and the clamp around her hands was chained to the back wall. The only light into the room came from a small window on the door, which lead into a dimly lit hallway made from the same grayish bricks as her cell. She was being detained in the facility's basement, kept away from the prying eyes of any visitors to the facility.

"I swear, the second I break out of here and get a pokemon..." The girl muttered bitterly before the door suddenly opened. The girl looked up at the older woman in the white uniform that came to her cell, glaring at her. "You again...do you have any idea who I am?! I am Flare! Grand hunter and mistress of flames! You will not break me!"

"You're neither." The woman replied coldly. "And when I'm finished with you..." A wicked grin spread across the woman's lips. In her right hand she had what looked like a welding torch. "You won't want to be near fire ever again."

Minutes later, a girl's screams echoed throughout the basement corridor...

* * *

Author's notes: Ha...that chapter was a bit darker than usual, at least toward the end. Yeah, needless to say, the facility Flare is at doesn't exactly follow standard procedure. The whole 'public execution' thing will be brought up briefly in a later chapter as well. Even in Kanto, the Pokemon world as a whole manages to be rather bright and cheery, so I imagine the word "execution" tends to invoke images of computer programs to most people in that world.

Also, I apologize to anyone with any knowledge of law reading this if I messed up any details or something. I was mostly using the report thing as a means to give a bit more background to the individual hunters and more or less show that they're pretty much out of the picture now.

Originally this chapter was just going to be about the hunters, but I decided to slip in Team Aqua, Magma, and Rocket in there, and a more sane Detective Dirk back on the job and starting from the bottom, thus why there's no specific date. Archie and Maxie showing up at a bar, and Lance hearing that report, can happen just about anytime. But the scene with Red is shortly after he arrives at Mt. Silver to start his training. Also note there's a minor HG/SS reference to the team he uses in that game.

Next chapter is back to Ashley, who will be getting into her new career path briefly alluded to in a previous chapter.


	9. Chapter 9: A New Gym Challenge

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company. You know, standard disclaimer stuff. Now that that's out of the way...**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Nine**

**A New Gym Challenge**

Date: 10 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Five days after her encounter with Galactica, Celebi, and a third mysterious pokemon, Ashley found herself already hard at work at her new hobby. After dealing with Galactica, Ashley met up with Bill. It worked out well for Ashley as he was in Goldenrod City at the time, giving her a chance to speak with him. Two days later, Bill had a new website up and running for her. She could log into the site from any computer with internet access and add images to the pages easily with a template Bill created for her. It wasn't long after that she had her first request.

"I knew I'd be getting some difficult requests, but this one..." Ashley looked over the piece of paper containing the request she had printed off and sighed. "Get a picture of all the gym leaders of Hoenn with their signature pokemon...my first request and I have to travel all around Hoenn to do it. Figures." Ashley folded up the paper and put it in the small travel bag hanging off her shoulder.

Ashley's first request was just that, visiting each gym leader in Hoenn and getting a picture of them with their signature pokemon. Her first stop on that journey brought her to Rustboro City, where she hoped to get a picture of the gym leader Roxanne alongside her Nosepass. Ashley didn't know whether Nosepass was Roxanne's signature pokemon or not, but the person who requested the photos outlined which pokemon was considered to be each gym leader's signature pokemon.

_"Come to think of it, I don't even know what a Nosepass looks like."_ Ashley thought, looking up from the paper at the gym ahead of her. _"I could have found out easily enough I suppose but since this is a trainer's pokemon anyway I didn't bother. I just hope Roxanne's at the gym today..." _

Ashley approached the front doors of the gym and tried to open them but, to her dismay, they were locked. "Figures..." She muttered.

"Are you looking for Roxanne?" Ashley heard someone ask her. She turned around to see a young boy standing behind her.

"Actually...yeah, you wouldn't know where she is, would you?" Ashley asked, smiling sheepishly.

"She's teaching at the pokemon school, her class starts in ten minutes." The boy said to her.

"Class?" Ashley blinked. "Wait...so she's a teacher too?" The boy nodded. "Oh..." Ashley rubbed the back of her head. "Well...umm...thanks for telling me then."

"Your welcome!" The boy replied enthusiastically, happy to have been able to help her. "I have to go now though, or else I'll be late!" He said, then bolted off toward the pokemon school.

Ashley thought to herself for a moment and shrugged. "Couldn't hurt to check this out I guess."

* * *

By the time Ashley decided to check out the pokemon school the kid she had been talking to was already gone, leaving her to find the school and Roxanne's classroom on her own. The school was easy enough to find, of course. Pretty much everyone in Rustboro knew where it was. The school was a brown building, rather than gray as most buildings in Rustboro seemed to be, and was just to the south of the gym. She was surprised she didn't notice it herself on the way there.

The Rustboro Pokemon School only had a few classrooms, separated into beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons. Ashley found Roxanne teaching one of the advanced classes, but rather than going into the class and interrupt them she decided to wait outside and listen in. She could hear Roxanne's voice inside.

"Now, pop quiz, what's the best way to train your pokemon in specific attributes?" Roxanne asked the classroom. The class was quiet for a moment, but eventually Ashley could make out the sound of a young girl's voice answering.

"Wouldn't you just have it do something related to that attribute? Like attacking an enemy with special attacks to make the pokemon better at using them?"

"That is one way. For that method to work, you should use simple exercises to allow the training to go on for longer." Roxanne said to the class. "For example, for training a fire pokemon's ability to use special attacks, find an object or opponent that can withstand fire attacks and use Ember repeatedly. Perform this exercise regularly and then move up to stronger attacks to build up its power. If your pokemon knows attacks that would be weaker, a lower powered non-fire attack for example, then it should start with that instead."

_"Wow...sounds like Roxanne really knows her stuff."_ Ashley thought as she continued to listen in.

"Incidentally, special vitamins can also be used." Roxanne continued. "A carbos drink will increase a pokemon's speed, a zinc drink will increase a pokemon's defense against special attacks, and so on. These drinks can be expensive, though, and hard to get your hands on. If you plan to be a serious contender in the pokemon league then you should start such training methods early so you can get a handle on them as well."

_"I came here to take pictures but..."_ Ashley grimaced in embarassment. _"Should I be taking notes instead?"_

"Excuse me young lady..." Ashley turned around when she heard someone talking. A tall, elderly man was standing behind her with a gold pin on his shirt that said 'principal'. He wore a brown blazer and a small pair of glasses, which he was glaring at her through. "Do you intend to attend class today or do you plan to eavesdrop on your instructor?"

"Ah! No! You've got it all wrong!" Ashley replied, holding up her hands defensively. "I'm not a student here, I'm actually..."

"LIAR!" The principal yelled, cutting her off. He suddenly raised one hand up, brandishing a set of claws. "Bad students get a taste of my QUICK CLAW!" The old man lashed out at Ashley with the claws, which she deftly stepped back to avoid but nearly fell over in the process.

"Whoa! Isn't attacking your students like this illegal?!" Ashley asked frantically.

"SILENCE!" The principal yelled, taking several more swipes at her. The old man wasn't very quick though, which was fortunate for Ashley as she was able to move back to avoid his attacks.

_"What the hell is with this old guy?!"_ Ashley wondered with a frustrated expression. _"He won't listen to a thing I say!"_

Luckily for Ashley, she didn't have to worry about it much longer. The door behind the principal suddenly opened and a girl in a purple school uniform and pink stockings stepped out and immediately addressed the old man. "Principal Smithers! Just what do you think you're doing?!" The girl yelled at him. The man suddenly froze and looked nervous as he turned around to face her.

"I...I was just testing her!" He replied, then quickly handed off the set of claws to Ashley without even looking at her. "If you're a good student you should know how to use that Quick Claw, right Roxanne?" He said nervously, addressing Roxanne more than he was Ashley.

_"Come to think of it...I don't know a whole lot about hold items."_ Ashley thought, staring at the set of claws. Looking up, she glared at the principal from behind, contemplating whether or not to use the claws on him in return.

"Is that so?" Roxanne replied, folding her arms over her chest. "You're doubting the capabilities of Kanto's regional Champion?" Several students peeking out from the door next to Roxanne gasped and began whispering amongst themselves.

"Ch-ch-ch-champion...?" The principal whimpered, slowly turning to face Ashley with a nervous grin. "S-sorry about that, miss, it was a complete misunderstanding!"

"I would have told you if you didn't cut me off and tried to attack me!" Ashley shot back, brandishing the claws at him. "You really take the 'pal' out of 'principal', you know that? Who's your supervisor?"

"Sorry about this, that would be me." Roxanne said, holding up her hand. "I'm in charge of this school."

"Wait...you?" Ashley asked, pointing at Roxanne and looking confused. "But you...aren't you just a teacher here?"

"Actually, I'm an honour student." Roxanne replied, placing her hands on her hips and looking proud of herself.

"Wait... a... minute... honour student? Supervisor? Teacher? Gym leader?" Ashley felt her head spinning at the number of titles the girl seemed to have. "How...how can you be an honour student, teacher, AND a supervisor here?!" Ashley asked incredulously. Meanwhile, the nervous principal quietly tried to sneak off while Ashley and Roxanne were talking.

"After becoming the gym leader I took over the school and dedicated my time to teaching classes here." Roxanne explained. "The principal here," Roxanne shot him a glare, paralyzing him in his tracks, "...has a bad habit of scaring students with that claw of his. Even though he's never actually hit anyone with it, threatening students with violence is against school regulations. Isn't that right, Principal Smithers?"

"Ah o-of course!" The principal replied nervously, slowly turning around to face her. "I would never dare threaten one of our students!"

"I'll let you off the hook this time since Ashley here isn't technically one of our students." Roxanne said to him. "But you owe her an apology. And do keep this incident in mind the next time you're going to interrupt someone."

"Of...of course..." The principal turned to Ashley and bowed. "I apologize for this, Ms. Ashley. It will not happen again." He then straightened up and walked briskly down the hall, turning and entering an office and then closing and locking the door behind him.

"Anyway..." Roxanne began, coughing to clear her throat and then smiling at Ashley. "Is there anything we can do for you, Ashley, since you made the journey all the way to our school in Hoenn?"

"Oh!" Ashley smiled brightly and held up her camera, a small, gray, digital camera that she recently bought. "I'm running a website where I put up photos of pokemon I've taken, collecting pictures of each individual species and hopefully one day having entries for all known pokemon. I take requests too, which is why I'm here. I've been asked to get a picture of all the gym leaders of Hoenn alongside their star pokemon, so I thought I'd start with you and your Nosepass."

"Pictures? Hmm..." Roxanne tapped her finger against her chin, thinking it over for a moment, then folded her arms over her chest and shrugged. "Sure, but perhaps you wouldn't mind taking part in my class first? I'm sure my students would love to hear from another region's champion."

"Sure! I wouldn't mind at all." Ashley replied. Roxanne smiled and turned to the students crowding near her classroom door.

"Did you hear that, class? Kanto Champion Ashley will be joining us today!" The girls and boys let out a loud cheer.

"Well they sound pretty happy about it." Ashley thought, smiling to herself. _"Come to think about it, this is the first time I've actually been in a pokemon school. I just kinda learned the basics at home until Oak started letting us practice with some of his old pokemon..."_

Ashley followed Roxanne into the classroom, where she could finally see for herself just what kind of students Roxanne dealt with. Being an advanced class, many of the students were not only already over the age of ten and thus able to become official trainers, Ashley could see many of them even had pokeballs. It quickly became clear that Roxanne probably didn't teach anything basic in her advanced class. There were about nine students in total, six boys and three girls between the ages of eight and twelve.

The students took their seats when Ashley and Roxanne entered the classroom. Roxanne stood at the front of the room and Ashley stood next to her. "Class, as you may have heard from the commotion outside, this is Ashley. She's the regional champion from Kanto. You may not have heard of her yourselves for that reason, though." Surprised gasps were heard from the students, who then began to whisper amongst themselves. Roxanne then turned to Ashley and smiled.

"Ashley, perhaps you could tell the students a little about yourself? Perhaps how you train and battle?"

"Of course." Ashley replied, then smiled and bowed to the class. "Pleasure to meet you all! As Roxanne said, my name is Ashley, and I am currently the regional champion of Kanto, meaning I'm recognized as the strongest trainer in Kanto by the Pokemon League. I didn't actually have much training when I set out, everything I learned about pokemon I learned from Professor Oak. He was my friend's grandfather."

"You must have learned alot from Professor Oak, though! He's a renowned pokemon professor!" One of the students said.

"Well...not really..." Ashley replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I mean, its not like I didn't learn anything. Unlike Red and Gary, who were also learning from him, I was more interested in how the pokemon looked than trying to battle with them. Which is probably why I took up photography..."

"Wait! Are you a photographer or a trainer?" Another student asked.

"There's no way someone like you can be champion!"

"Eh?!" Ashley blinked. "W-wait now..."

"Kanto's league sucks if someone like her is the champion! Put her in her place Roxanne!"

"Yeah! Kick her butt!"

_"Why did this have to happen?"_ Ashley wondered, grinning nervously. _"They're way too serious about this..."_

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped..." Roxanne said with a shrug, turning to Ashley and smiling. "What do you say to a three on three battle in my gym? Perhaps you have three pokemon you've caught since arriving in Hoenn that you could use?"

Ashley sighed. "Well if it can't be avoided...I do have exactly three pokemon I've caught while here, but one of them is..."

"Now, now, don't worry about what pokemon they are." Roxanne said, winking suggestively. "I would hate for you to hold anything back..."

"It almost sounds like she WANTS me to use that pokemon." Ashley thought, blinking in disbelief. "Well, if you're sure about that, then I guess I can't disagree. They're not going to hear me out now..."

Roxanne smiled and clasped her hands together. "Good! It's settled then. Rather than telling the class what you can do, we shall demonstrate with a battle!"

* * *

Ashley left the school, heading to the pokecenter to change up her team while Roxanne and her class went straight to the gym. The students were seated on the right side of the gym when Ashley arrived through the front doors with her three Hoenn-caught pokemon withdrawn. Ashley paused in front of the door for a moment, gauging the size of the battlefield.

"If you're worried about my gym being big enough, don't. I have larger pokemon myself." Roxanne assured Ashley. "However...I'd prefer it if you saved that particular pokemon for last." She added with a knowing grin.

_"She definitely knows what pokemon I have then."_ Ashley thought, nodding to her and approaching the field. Roxanne was already waiting on the other side. She briefly glanced over at Roxanne's students. _"She must have some kind of lesson in store for them. Being one of the gym leaders of Hoenn, if she knows what pokemon I caught in Hoenn then she probably knows she won't win..."_

"Shall we begin then?" Roxanne said to Ashley, holding up a pokeball. Ashley nodded affirmatively. "Ok then." Roxanne looked at her students briefly. "Now, class, be sure to take notes, I might just put this on the next test!" The students groaned in dismay, but Roxanne ignored them as she held out her pokeball and released her first pokemon, a giant steel snake pokemon. It coiled its body up but still easily had half the battlefield to itself.

"This will be my first pokemon." Roxanne said to Ashley.

"A Steelix?" Ashley blinked. "But...don't you only train rock types?"

"It used to be a rock type, but then it evolved and I'm not getting rid of it just because of that." Roxanne said to Ashley, folding her arms over her chest. "Now call out your first pokemon already."

"This is going to be an incredibly mismatched fight." Ashley thought as she took a yellow and white pokeball from her belt. "I think I can pull it off though."

"Gligaro, go!" Ashley held out the pokeball and released Gligar onto the field. It took several mock swipes at the air with its claws and then posed with its wings crossed in front of it.

"-I am Gligaro the Gligar, the claw that smites evil! There is nothing I cannot crush!-"

"Hey! That's not a Hoenn pokemon!" One of the students called out.

"I said for her to use pokemon she caught in Hoenn, not pokemon first discovered here." Roxanne said to them with a knowing smile. "Ashley, perhaps you could tell them where you caught your Gligar?"

"Oh, sure." Ashley replied, turning to address the students. "I caught it in the expansion at the Hoenn Safari Zone. You can find all kinds of pokemon there that were imported from the Johto region."

"That's right." Roxanne said, nodding in agreement. "I wouldn't expect any of my students to know that, though. Most of them haven't been very far out of Rustboro."

_"So that's why she specifically wanted me to use these pokemon."_ Ashley thought, smirking to herself. _"She really is just using this battle as part of her lesson."_

"Now, without further delay, let's begin." Roxanne said. "Steelix, use Iron Tail!" Steelix let out a roar and uncoiled its body, then flipped its tail around to slam it down onto Gligaro. Gligaro was too quick for it, though. He moved toward the corner of the battlefield with a quick hop and a glide while Steelix struck the ground where Gligaro had been standing, smashing a large indent into the field and sending rocks flying in all directions.

"-You move too slowly to catch the great Gligaro!-" Gligaro taunted, waving a claw at Steelix.

"Gligaro, use Screech!" Gligaro grimaced, upset that it was being ordered to use such distasteful techniques, but followed through with his trainer's orders regardless. Gligaro put his claws to his mouth and let out a terrible, eardrum-piercing screech that caused even Steelix to shudder.

"Steelix's body is harder than diamond, you'll need more than a Screech to get past it!" Roxanne said confidently. "Now, Steelix, use Iron Tail again!" Steelix lifted its tail, which was still in the large indent it had made in the field before, and took another swat at Gligaro. Gligaro had little room to maneuver this time without going out of the battlefield and was swept from the side by the attack, knocking him along the edge of the field. Gligaro quickly shook it off though, being a fairly sturdy pokemon for its size and build, and stood back up to face Steelix.

"Screech works just fine for what we're doing!" Ashley said to Roxanne. "Gligaro, Dig!" Gligaro dove toward the ground and started scraping with its claws, quickly digging in and disappearing below the battlefield. The students watching from the sidelines snickered at her technique.

"There's no way that attack will do anything to Roxanne's Steelix." One student said.

"Steelix will see that coming from miles away!" Said another.

"I'm afraid you won't defeat my Steelix by engaging in a ground battle." Roxanne said to Ashley. "Steelix, feel for where its going to come out and smash it with Iron Tail." Steelix nodded and raised its tail back. It focused intently, trying to feel the vibrations caused by Gligaro's movement through the ground, but the ringing in its ears caused by Gligaro's Screech attack was still distracting it.

"But if you did your homework, then you should know a ground assault isn't my style." Ashley said smugly.

"Then just what are you trying for with that attack?"

"What else?" As Ashley replied, a hole opened up in the ground near Steelix. Unnoticed at first, and with no pokemon emerging, Steelix noticed the hole and turned its head. "An aerial attack!" Before Steelix had a chance to react, Gligaro suddenly shot out of the hole and flew straight up at it, striking Steelix in the jaw.

"-I AM GLIGARO!-" Gligaro cried out as he struck Steelix. Steelix groaned in pain, its eyes rolling back into its head. Gligaro then quickly dove back toward the ground, landing with its arms crossed in front of it as Steelix crashed to the ground behind it. "-Evil shall fall before my might!-"

"...I see, so you've trained your Gligar to take to the air after a Dig attack." Roxanne noted as she recalled Steelix, undisturbed by her loss. "And that Screech attack prevented Steelix from seeing the attack coming, allowing you to blindside it." She smiled to herself and looked over at her students, whom were shocked by her defeat. "Now, class, what did you learn from this?"

"I learned Gligar is a badass." One student said, awed by the battle. Several other students snickered.

"-Heh heh heh! Your praise is unwarranted, civilian!-" Gligaro said, waving a claw dismissively. "-I only do what comes naturally!-"

_"Gligaro's certainly unique at any rate."_ Ashley thought, smiling to herself.

"What you should have taken note of was her choice of tactics." Roxanne said to them, waving a finger. "She used Dig, a ground-type attack, in an unusual way by turning it into an aerial attack. Gligar is one of a few pokemon who can do such as most pokemon capable of learning dig either can't fly or can't pull it off so well for other reasons. Ninjask is another pokemon that could potentially use such a technique."

_"...And Roxanne is definitely more interested in using this as a lesson than an actual battle."_ Ashley noted mentally. _"I wonder if, as a gym leader, she's at all confident in her ability to hold her own against a champion?"_

"Now, moving right along." Roxanne took another pokeball from her belt. She released her pokemon, sending out a blue, shelled pokemon with a beak-like mouth and tentacles. "Omastar will be my next pokemon."

"A pokemon revived from a fossil. A Kanto pokemon revived from a fossil. Did NOT see that coming." Ashley thought. Realizing she now faced a water-type pokemon, she quickly took Gligaro's pokeball in her hand. "Gligaro, good job but that's enough for now! Return!" Ashley called out, recalling Gligaro into its pokeball.

"Here's hoping this guy's done some training at the Sanctuary." Ashley thought as she switched Gligaro's pokeball with another one from her belt. "Lairon, you're up next! Go!" She called out, releasing Lairon from its pokeball. At a glance, Ashley couldn't tell if Lairon got any stronger or not.

"Ha! There's no way an unevolved Lairon is going to beat Roxanne's Omastar!" One of the boys on the bench said.

"Yeah, and there's no way she'll beat Roxanne with a rock-type! Roxanne's a rock pokemon expert!" One of the girls added.

"-Oh, I'm finally with my trainer?-" Lairon wondered aloud as it looked back at Ashley. "-Good! I've been saving this so she could see it!-"

Lairon suddenly stood on its hind legs, a difficult feat due to its heavy body, then started glowing. A long tail grew out of its backside, helping it maintain balance. Its body grew as well, and grew a lot. As a Lairon, it was around three feet tall. The pokemon it was evolving into grew to over twice that height, standing at over seven feet tall. The glowing faded shortly after it had reached its full height. Seeing her Lairon evolved, Ashley quickly took out her pokedex to check it.

"Aggron, the Iron Armor pokemon. It claims a large mountain as its sole territory. It mercilessly thrashes those that violate its space." After reading the entry, Ashley looked at Aggron in amazement. The students weren't overly impressed, knowing Ashley was still using a rock-type against a rock-type gym leader, but they kept their mouths shut after it evolved.

"Ok...I never would have guessed that little Aron would evolve into something as cool looking as that." Ashley said under her breath.

"I see you've been taking the time to raise your newly caught pokemon as well." Roxanne said to her. "Now, if you're quite ready, shall we get round two underway?"

"Well, what do you say, Aggron?" Ashley asked, looking up at her pokemon.

Aggron snorted and smashed his fists together. "-LET'S BREAK STUFF!-"

"Well, that certainly sounded like a yes." Ashley said. _"Though, is it just me, or does he seem a bit more aggressive than I remember?"_

"Unfortunately for you, Aggron is still badly matched against my Omastar!" Roxanne said to Ashley. "Omastar, use Surf!" Omastar raised several of it's tentacles into the air, causing a wall of water to rise up in front of it. With another motion of its tentacles, it sent the water rushing across the gym in a wave.

"Aggron, Protect!" Ashley called out quickly. Aggron crossed its arms in front of its body, forming a blue bubble around it. The wave reached him only seconds after, crashing down on top of him. The water couldn't bypass the protective bubble, though, and was scattered around the field in a large splash instead.

_"Ok, let's see if Aggron has a better attack than Iron Tail to use against this thing."_ Ashley thought, taking another look at her pokedex. Scrolling through Aggron's list of known attacks, one technique stood out to her and left her in shock when she read it. _"But that...I thought...where did it..."_

"Omastar, don't let up! Use Surf again, this one should work!" Omastar raised its tentacles again, calling up another wall of water from the ground.

Roxanne calling out an attack got Ashley's attention, snapping her out of her shocked state. She quickly ordered Aggron to use the technique she saw. "Aggron, push through it and attack with Superpower!"

An aura of power flowed around Aggron as it flexed its arms and let out a roar. Omastar directed the wave it summoned across the gym, but Aggron charged toward it without a moment's hesitation. Roxanne and her students stared in shock. Though they were familiar with the technique, the only pokemon they knew to ever use them were the three 'Regi' pokemon.

Aggron barreled through the wave Omastar was attacking with, any pain it might have inflicted being briefly numbed while the power was flowing through Aggron's body. It stopped when it reached Omastar and raised its hands in the air, holding them together like a club, then smashed Omastar with all its power. Omastar's shell took the brunt of the impact, but the sheer power of the attack created several small cracks in the shell and created even larger cracks in the ground it was standing on. The attack left Omastar briefly dazed, but also left Aggron slightly drained.

_"Where on Earth did her Aggron pick up an attack like that?!"_ Roxanne wondered. _"Superpower has only been observed being used by the golems, how is her Aggron able to use it?"_

"Aggron, finish it while its still dazed! Iron Tail!" Aggron summoned its strength for another attack while Omastar was still recovering from the initial blow. Aggron spun around, smashing its large steel-armored tail into Omastar's body and sending it rolling across the rocky gym floor. Omastar eventually landed on its side and came to a stop, coming close to the edge of the battlefield near where the students were seated. It was unconscious.

"Well, I think the lesson falls upon you this time, Ashley." Roxanne said as she recalled her Omastar. "Honestly, I have no idea how your Aggron was able to use such a technique as Superpower, so perhaps you could explain it?"

"I have no idea either, really." Ashley replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "It just showed up on the pokedex. I'm not even that familiar with it, aside from seeing Melany's pokemon use it."

"Hmm...that's right, you're friends with her, aren't you?" Roxanne asked, contemplating the issue while examining Ashley's Aggron. "Your Aggron...would it have had the chance to see this technique in action from the Regi's?"

"It could have I guess." Ashley replied. "It was doing training on its own back at the Sanctuary, and..."

"Sanctuary?" Roxanne asked with a raised eyebrow, interrupting Ashley. "What is that?"

"It's an island that me, May, Melany, and Rina worked together to make. Its where we keep our pokemon stored now, and only people with legendary pokemon of their own can get in because of a barrier around it." Roxanne's students stared at Ashley in disbelief, jaws dropped. Not only were they hearing that Ashley, Kanto's champion, had connections with their own champion, May, but that a group of four girls had created an island where only legendary pokemon or people accompanied by one could go.

"Hmm. Well, if your Aggron was there mingling with the Regi's, perhaps it picked it up from them?" Roxanne suggested with a shrug. The news of the island, though the first she heard of it, didn't come as nearly as much of a surprise to her as it did her students. "Perhaps Superpower is a technique which, given the chance, some ordinary pokemon are capable of learning?"

"That'd have to be it I guess." Ashley replied with a shrug. "Though, I wonder how many pokemon could actually learn it then?"

"-You two talk as if that was hard for me to learn.-" Aggron said, snorting derisively.

"Teacher! Aren't you being surprised by the wrong thing here?!" A female student cried out in confusion.

"If you did a little research, you would know that Ashley has been to this region for a while now." Roxanne said to them. "You would also know that she's famous in Kanto not only for her part in shutting down a criminal organization, but for capturing three legendary birds said to roam the region." Roxanne smirked. "She and her friend Rina have just as much of a reputation in the Kanto League as May and Melany do here in the Hoenn League."

"You really do seem to know a lot about me, Roxanne." Ashley said with a slight smirk. "Am I right in assuming you knew exactly which three pokemon I would be using in this battle?"

Roxanne smiled and shrugged. "You caught me." Her students gasped. "Well, now that that's out in the open, how about we get to our last pokemon now?"

Ashley nodded in agreement. "Ok then. Aggron, good job! That's it for now!" Ashley recalled Aggron, putting its pokeball on her belt while Roxanne took a pokeball in her hand to send out her final pokemon.

"Nosepass, go!" Roxanne called out, releasing her pokemon. A three foot tall moai statue with short, stubby arms and legs materialized on the field.

"My turn then!" Ashley called out, taking another pokeball in her hand. "Hope you're all ready for this one!"

Ashley pressed the button on her pokeball, causing it to open up and release a red beam. Only a few feet from the edge of the field it began to materialize into a pokemon, growing into a red dinosaur-like creature that stood at eleven and a half feet tall with huge claws and a tail that was practically in Ashley's face from where the pokemon was standing. Heat radiated from the pokemon's body and the sunlight outside the gym intensified greatly.

The pokemon let out a mighty roar once it had materialized, rattling the windows of the gym. It's appearance left the students in a stunned silence, save for the whimpering of one student.

"After that day I never thought I'd see this pokemon again." Roxanne said, smirking lightly. "The ancient pokemon Groudon who fought with Kyogre at Sootopolis."

"-Have we met?-" Groudon snorted, looking down at Roxanne. "-I can't be expected to remember all you lowly humans.-"

"It's a powerful pokemon, especially physically." Ashley said to Roxanne. "I don't think any pokemon could match its offensive attack power. A rock-type like your Nosepass isn't likely to be able to take an Earthquake from this guy."

"You're right, which is why I'm forfeiting the match as of now." Roxanne said to Ashley, then turned to face her students. "Now, with all this said and done, if Ashley really wasn't fit to be a champion, do you really think she could tame such a pokemon?" She smiled at them. "Do keep in mind the threat that it and Kyogre posed."

The students looked at Ashley in disbelief but remained quiet. They knew very well what Groudon was capable of and what that meant for a trainer who managed to capture it.

"Just because she wasn't as serious about learning pokemon doesn't mean she didn't learn as much." Roxanne said to her students. "Even though she didn't get her first pokemon until she was fourteen, as she said, she did get to practice with pokemon belonging to Professor Oak and received instruction from him. And from what you've witnessed, you should be able to see that Ashley is a smart girl. She probably picked up pretty quickly on Oak's lessons."

"And in my defense, if you saw the way Gary and Red went at it, you wouldn't have wanted to practice with them either." Ashley said to them, grinning widely. "Beside that, just because someone is a strong trainer doesn't mean they have to devote their life to that in full. As I understand, Hoenn's last champion doesn't battle much these days, but he's still as strong as ever."

After Roxanne and Ashley's speech, the gym remained quiet while the students took this in. The only sounds were the grunting and other noises coming from Groudon and Nosepass.

"-WHAT IS THIS? I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A BATTLE BUT THEY ARE JUST TALKING?-" Nosepass said in confusion, it's voice loud and deep.

"-It wouldn't have been much of a battle anyway.-" Groudon grunted.

Eventually the silence was broken as a young boy stood up, the same one Ashley met outside Roxanne's gym before, and bowed to Ashley. "I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions and doubted your abilities. I'm happy to have had this chance to learn from your battle, Ashley." The boy then sat back down and one by one the rest of the students followed suit, apologizing to Ashley for doubting her when she said she was a photographer.

"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me." Roxanne said to her students once they had each apologized. "Now, I hope you remember what you learned today." She smiled gleefully and clasped her hands together. "There was some excellent testing material in today's matches!"

"-Feh. Doesn't sound like I missed much anyway.-" Groudon grumbled to himself. "-And these brats show more respect for Ashley than they do me! I'm the land titan, damn it!-" Groudon turned its head toward the students and growled, startling them.

"Ok, that's enough out of you." Ashley said, taking Groudon's pokeball in her hand. "Back into the pokeball you go." Groudon could only manage a low, angered growl before Ashley recalled it into the pokeball. As soon as Groudon was inside, the sudden heatwave that had struck quickly cooled off.

"It's amazing to think someone could have such a handle on that pokemon after the way it rampaged at Sootopolis." Roxanne said, giggling to herself. "In any case, I believe I owe you a photo shoot with my Nosepass now?"

"That's what I'm here for." Ashley said, grinning as she took out her camera again.

Roxanne moved to stand next to her Nosepass, posing with her arms folded in front of her. "How's this then?" She asked Ashley. Ashley thought for a moment and shook her head.

"No...how about something a bit more...you?" Ashley smiled and shrugged. "Maybe hold a book under your arm or something?"

Roxanne nodded and smiled. "Very well. Thomas?" Roxanne looked over at one of the boys. "Do you still have that book on ground techniques?"

"I gave it to Gia, actually..." Thomas replied, glancing over at the girl sitting next to him.

"I...uh...left it at home..." Gia said, looking toward the ground in shame.

"You can have my book, Roxanne!" Another student piped up, quickly getting up from the bench and walking over to Roxanne with the book. "It's just a dictionary, does that matter any?"

"I doubt anyone will be able to tell from the picture anyway." Roxanne replied, taking the book from him. Roxanne then turned to Ashley, holding the dictionary under her right arm and resting her left arm against her side. "How's this, then?"

"Perfect!" Ashley replied enthusiastically. She quickly moved closer to Roxanne and her Nosepass, kneeling down to take the picture. The boy that handed Roxanne the book quickly returned to the bench. Roxanne smiled and maintained the pose while Ashley took the picture. A quiet click from the button on the camera was the only clue that the picture had been taken as Ashley opted not to use the camera's flash.

"And there we go." Ashley said, looking at her camera as she stood up to look at the picture she just took. A screen on the back displayed the image.

"Hmm...you do requests for that website, don't you?" Roxanne asked Ashley. Ashley nodded to her. "Would you mind if my students got in on a few pictures then?"

"Not at all!" Ashley replied with a grin. "With this baby I don't even have to worry about using up my film, so I can take as many pictures as I want."

"Excellent!" Roxanne smiled and turned toward her class. "Let's get a few class photos together then, everyone!" The students cheered in agreement and got up from the bench, running to join Roxanne and her Nosepass on the gym's battlefield.

_"Now why couldn't this be the kind of thing I was doing when I was travelling across Kanto?"_ Ashley wondered, smiling to herself as she got her camera ready to take a few more photos. _"Maybe I should go back to Kanto after this and get the gym leaders there too? And maybe Johto's and the Elite Four while I'm at it!"_

Ashley took several photos of Roxanne and her students before she left, finding herself in a good mood as she left the gym. Though she had dreaded the idea of having to visit so many gym leaders to take pictures before, she suddenly found herself reveling in the idea. After a quick stop at the Rustboro pokemon center, Ashley set out for the island of Dewford to get photos of the next Hoenn gym leader.

* * *

Author's Notes: Superpower. In the 3rd gen, there were all of five pokemon that could learn the technique. The three Regi's, Deoxys, and Nidoqueen. Only one of those pokemon wasn't a legendary pokemon and even it couldn't pass on the technique through breeding. It's become a lot more commonplace in the 4th gen, though, and now Aggron is capable of learning the technique through move tutors.

Enough about Superpower though. This chapter was to show Ashley finally getting into the whole photography thing for real. Obviously, I don't plan to show her going to the rest of the gym leaders and what not. I could write a whole saga on that one alone. There is a good reason she was doing Hoenn's gyms to start, though. Let's just say the request came from someone she knows.


	10. Chapter 10: It Will Be My Secret Base!

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company. You know, standard disclaimer stuff. Now that that's out of the way...**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Ten**

**It Will Be My Secret Base!**

Date: 10 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

While Ashley had set out across Hoenn to get pictures of the gym leaders alongside her pokemon, May had set out for Lilycove with Flygon. After setting down on the roof of the department store, which gave her a great view of the surrounding city, May contemplated her next move.

_"Maybe I should try going to Kanto?"_ May thought, flopping back onto the warm concrete. _"I bet I could get at least some peace there. Come to think of it, they definitely couldn't get to the island either..."_

The past few days had been rough for May. She thought she would be left alone if she stayed in Littleroot, but the media soon caught wind of this. Soon she had reporters trying to interview her about her night in Fortree, as well as trying to get her to talk about her journey across Hoenn challenging the gyms. They weren't the real problem, though. May quickly discovered there wasn't a thing they could do if she simply declined, she'd talk when she was ready to talk.

What she wasn't expecting, though, was another problem that soon followed: stalkers. Ever since word got out that she was back in Littleroot she's had people trying to follow her and take pictures. Specifically, they'd be peeking in through her windows and trying to get pictures of her either sleeping or in various states of undress. Curtains and blinds didn't seem to help any either as they just used their pokemon to move them out of the way. What made her finally decide to try to escape, though, was when she was woken up late last night by the sound of someone trying to drill through her bedroom wall.

"If I went to Kanto, they'd probably find me eventually, but they definitely couldn't get past the barrier if I went to the island." May mumbled to herself.

"Miss! I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to move!" An older man's voice yelled at her. May slowly sat up and turned to face him. He was a bit chubby looking and wearing an apron, the same one May remembered seeing shopkeepers wear the last time she had actually been in the department store.

"We're about to set up for our rooftop sale and...oh..." The man blinked a few times, finally realizing who he was talking to. "Err...nevermind! You can relax on any rooftop you want, miss May! We...we'll just work around you!"

May quickly stood up, grinning sheepishly. "Oh, no! That's ok! I'll leave!" She grabbed a pokeball from her belt, Flygon's again, and released her green skinned dragon pokemon. It immediately crouched down and waited for May to get on, already suspecting she wanted to get off the roof now. May quickly hopped on his back and the two flew away from the building.

The shopkeeper scratched his head as he watched May fly away. "I wonder what she was doing up here in the first place?"

* * *

"Great, I was hoping no one would be up there this time of morning." May said with a sigh. "Flygon, just keep going toward the ocean and set down on the beach." Flygon nodded and continued eastward toward the beach. As the water came into view down below, May could make out four figures on the beach wearing a uniform that May remembered all too well.

"Is that...Team Aqua?!" May uttered in disbelief. The four individuals, two male and two female, were wearing blue bandanas, pants, and white and black striped shirts. They were standing near the edge of the water, directly south of where May remembered their old hideout being. "What could they be doing here?" She wondered. "Didn't they disband after the incident at Sootopolis?"

May watched the group as Flygon flew closer, but was too high up to make out what they were saying. She did, however, notice that the one doing all the talking had his left arm in a splint, the left side of his shirt almost completely torn off, and bandages around his shoulder.

"If they're here...are they back in their old base again?" May wondered, then sighed. "Well, I could have hidden there easily enough, but if that's the case I'll have to chase them out first." May looked northward toward the large rock formation that hid Team Aqua's old base. The front entrance was still open to the sea, just how May remembered it being when she spent some time there. Remembering the hideout had a dock around the back, she motioned toward the rock.

"Flygon, take us around the back of that rock but stay out of sight of Team Aqua." May said to it. Flygon nodded and proceded toward the back of the rock formation, where another entrance was hidden. Flygon flew down inside and landed in what had once been Team Aqua's submarine dock. She couldn't see anyone immediately inside, though, and the dock looked like no one had been using it recently.

May jumped down from Flygon's back and then motioned for the dragon pokemon to follow her. She wanted to be ready incase she had to battle any of Team Aqua. She wasn't too worried, of course. The grunts in Team Aqua usually had pokemon so weak that any of her's could beat them, even at a type disadvantage. As she left the dock and wandered through the corridors of the old hideout, though, she didn't see any sign that anyone was there aside from her.

"That's strange...maybe they're just getting ready to move in?" May thought. There didn't seem to be any power to the building as none of the lights were on. In the corridors of the old hideout, without any light, May couldn't see a thing and was counting on Flygon to alert her to any obstacles or danger. She could still remember the layout pretty well, though, and made her way to the main entrance to see if the men and women she saw would come for the base.

She could finally see again when she made it to the main entrance, which was set up like an indoor harbour. There were about six inlets where a small boat could be parked and equipment for unloading boats was still there, slowly wearing away from the lack of maintenance. As she came out into the entrance with Flygon she spotted someone sitting near the edge of the harbour. She quickly ducked behind an operating panel for one of the cranes and motioned for Flygon to move back into the hall.

"Was that one of them?" May wondered. Cautiously, she peeked out from behind the machinery to get another look. She could just barely make out what looked like a young, blonde-haired girl in a blue one-piece swimsuit and two eel-like pokemon laid out next to her. They were all facing toward the water and didn't see May.

"Just a kid and her pokemon..." May breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the girl again. "She looks a bit young to be a licensed trainer though...and those pokemon with her don't look very tough either. She could be in trouble if Team Aqua comes here..."

The two pokemon accompanying the girl were a Gorebyss and a Huntail. Both deep sea pokemon evolved from Clamperl. May didn't recognize either pokemon as she never came across them in her pokemon journey. They were both about two feet long, about a third of the length of a typical Gorebyss or Huntail.

"Come to think of it...what's a girl like her even doing here?" May wondered, blinking. The girl didn't seem to be doing anything, aside from drinking from a small juice carton. While May wondered this, she would soon find out what Team Aqua was up to.

"We're back, little girl! And this time we'll be retaking our hideout!" May could hear a man's voice announcing. Further ahead, in the water, she could see the four Team Aqua members from before. They were crowded in a little dingy, floating in the water only a dozen feet away from the girl.

"So that's what they were up to!" May thought, staring at them intently. After realizing what was meant by the man's words, May looked at the girl and blinked in disbelief. "Wait...do they know her?"

"You guys again?" The girl tilted her head to the side as she looked at them. "Weren't there eleven of you last time?"

"Your little stunt last time shattered their confidence!" One of the Aqua's, the one with the ripped shirt and bandaged shoulder, yelled at the girl. "The rest fled after we..."

"Got your butts handed to you by a girl and two hatchlings!" The girl said, giggling to herself. "You guys were crying like babies when Bitey and Gorey got at you!"

"They...they can't be THAT pathetic...can they?" May said under her breath, blinking in disbelief. Remembering she still had Flygon waiting nearby, she looked over her shoulder at him while rubbing her neck. "Umm...Flygon, I want to see how this turns out but if they try anything..." May ended her sentence there, but Flygon still understood and nodded to her in agreement.

"Grr...you were just lucky you caught us off guard! We're ready for you with our pokemon this time!" A pair of Carvanha then emerged from the water in front of Team Aqua's boat. "Even our Carvanha can beat those evolved hatchlings!"

"Wow...'even' your Carvanha?" The girl giggled. "It's pretty bad when you already know your pokemon suck! You should just give up and go home!"

_"The more I think about it...this girl seems kinda familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it!"_ May thought.

"Ha! And just what are you going to do about it?!" The leader of the group shot back. "Our Carvanha will still chew up those wimpy pokemon of your's!"

"-Lemme at 'em! I'll bite 'em!-" The miniature Huntail growled.

"-I want their blood!-" The Gorebyss added, stabbing at the air with her thin mouth.

"But I'm definitely not battling you with these two." The girl replied, sucking noisily on her nearly empty juice box. "I'm still learning, I definitely couldn't beat your Carvanha with them..."

_"Come to think about it...how many blonde-haired girls do I even know?"_ May thought, her attention slowly slipping away from the situation at hand while she wracked her mind over why the girl seemed so familiar to her. _"I've definitely seen her somewhere before, I know I did!"_

"Ha! So you admit defeat!"

"Nope." The girl replied calmly. "'Cause my dad's Sharpedo isn't going to like it if you guys threaten me."

"Sharpedo? What Sharpedo?" The four of them scanned the water around their boat for any sign of the shark pokemon, but saw nothing. Including their Carvanha. "What the!? Where did our pokemon go!?" They all searched the water again, more frantically this time. After a few moments, two unconscious Carvanha floated to the surface from the murky depths, both bearing bite marks.

"Sh-shit!" The group's leader said in shock. He quickly turned to his other members. "Recall your Carvanha! We're retreating!"

"Aye aye, sir!" The two grunts, one male and one female, replied. They each recalled one of the Carvanha while the remaining female grunt turned to start the motor they had attached to the boat only to find the propeller had been bitten clean off.

"S-sir! Our propeller is gone!" The female Aqua reported nervously.

"THEN START PADDLING!" The leader yelled. The three grunts immediately moved to the sides of the boat and started paddling with their hands, inching backwards out of the harbour.

_"Looks like she really does have a parent's pokemon with her, but do her parents know she's been fighting Team Aqua?"_ May thought to herself, then shrugged. _"Well, I guess it doesn't matter if she's beating them, for now at least. Who knows when they could manage to get the upperhand on her?"_ May thought for a moment. _"Kid's supposedly look up to me, right? I wonder if she'd listen to me if I told her to leave them alone?"_

"You're retreating now? After everything you said?" The girl taunted them, smiling from ear to ear.

"You...you shut up!" The group's leader shot back, clenching a fist. "This isn't over, you! We'll get stronger pokemon! Then we'll take back our base for sure!"

"But...will Sharpedo really let you leave?" As the girl said this, the attacking Sharpedo finally surfaced from the water behind them to finally reveal itself. The four Team Aqua grunts screamed and started paddling faster, but still weren't getting anywhere fast.

"PADDLE FASTER, YOU FOOLS!" Their bandaged leader shrieked.

"We're trying!"

Sharpedo lined itself up with the boat and shot forward, diving below the water again so only it's fin remained visible. The Sharpedo's fin sliced through the boat as the pokemon moved under it, cutting the boat clean in half. The two halves dropped in the water, leaving the Team Aqua grunts floating helplessly at the surface. With only one good arm, the leader struggled to stay above water until he remembered to use his feet. The Sharpedo moved behind them again, prompting the four grunts to start frantically swimming for shore. Sharpedo showed no interest in pursuing them, but the young girl wasn't going to let them off that easily.

"Ok, Bitey, your turn now!" The girl said to her miniscule Huntail, grinning widely. The Huntail, Bitey, immediately jumped into the water and swam toward the one-armed grunt. The man looked back in horror when he saw the Huntail moving toward him.

"No! NO! STAY AWAY!" The man screamed. Naturally, the Huntail paid no attention. It was swimming quickly toward it's intended target - the man's remaining shoulder and arm. The Aqua grunt kicked out his legs, trying to swim backwards and away from Bitey, but Bitey was too quick for him in the water. Bitey moved in, opened its mouth, and clamped down on his shoulder. The man's blood curdling scream filled the air.

"AHHHHH!!! HELP! HELP! GET IT OFF, SOMEBODY!" The man screamed, trying to pull Bitey off himself with the same arm Bitey was latched onto. Eventually, the Huntail let go of his shoulder only to clamp down on his elbow instead. He had no way to try to pull Bitey off now and the sudden bite to his arm caused him to let go.

"What...just what am I watching?" May wondered aloud, staring unblinking at the scene in the water. "That...that little girl just ordered her pokemon to attack that guy! And she didn't even hesitate! It's like she's some kind of creepy hell child or..." May blinked as she found herself staring at the girl again. It was finally starting to dawn on her who the child was. "That...that couldn't be her, could it? Angela?"

With the man screaming in pain from the two bites the Huntail had delivered, Bitey finally let go. One of the other grunts had finally reached him and grabbed him from behind, swimming away from the hideout with him while Bitey returned to Angela's side.

"You might want to hurry up! All that blood might attract wild Sharpedos!" Angela called out after them, then giggled to herself. After a few minutes, the Aqua grunts were out of the hideout and swimming for the shore. "That guy sure screamed a lot this time. I wonder if he's afraid of Huntails now?"

"-Ohh...why can't I be feared?-" Gorey the Gorebyss said sadly. "-I never get to have any fun...-"

"-That's because they're a withered, dried-up husk when you're finished with them.-" Bitey said to it, rolling it's eyes. "-If we wanted them dead I'd be tearing out their throats.-"

Angela took a sip from her juice box, but found it to be empty. "Hmm...out of juice. Guess that means it's time to go home." Angela took a quick look around the dock. "Umm...where did I leave my stuff anyway?" She pondered, folding her arms in front of her.

"-Back in the sleep room.-" Bitey said to her, pointing toward the darkened corridor at the other end of the room with it's vaguely fish-shaped tail.

"Oh, right, back in the place with the beds." Angela nodded. "Ok, I'll go get my stuff and you three can wait here!" She picked up a waterproof flashlight that was sitting on the floor next to her and made her way toward the corridor.

"Wait...if it's just Angela, then why am I still hiding?" May wondered, blinking. She remained hidden behind the control panel as Angela walked by without noticing her, heading toward the dark corridor where Flygon was hidden. She stopped just before it to turn her flashlight on and then aimed it down the corridor. Flygon hissed as Angela's flashlight shone in its eyes. Angela shrieked and dropped her flashlight.

"G-g-g-g-g-GHOST POKEMON!"

"Angela! Relax, it's just my Flygon!" May said in an effort to calm Angela down while also revealing her presence. Angela turned around with a start when she heard May's voice.

"M-May!?" Angela stammered in disbelief.

"-Damn it...do you have any idea how much that hurts when you have eyes as big as mine?!-" Flygon hissed in anger, restraining himself only because of May's presence. The fact that he still couldn't see Angela because the light had left him blinded helped too.

"Yeah...hi..." May replied, grinning sheepishly and waving her hand slightly.

"Whaaaaaa! I can't believe it! May's in my secret base!" Angela shouted excitedly. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around May's waist and giggling. "I can't believe it! You're really here! You'rehereyou'rehereyou'rehere!"

_"Now I know why I stayed hidden..."_ May thought. If there was anyone else around, she would have felt embarrassed by Angela's clinginess. Even so, she was still noticeably uncomfortable.

"Oh no! I can't be seen like this in front of you!" Angela cried out, suddenly letting go of May and patting her hair. "I forgot my bandana!"

"Bandana?" May repeated in disbelief. "Don't tell me...you got a bandana just like mine?" She then asked. Angela nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep! I have an entire outfit just like your's at home!" Angela replied, grinning widely.

"Being a fan of mine is one thing...but Angela takes it to an entirely different level." May thought. "Though, come to think of it, Angela has a different reason than most..."

"Oh! But there's no time to be talking about my clothes!" Angela said, grabbing May's arm and dragging her back toward the water. "Come on! Come on! I have to introduce you to my pokemon!"

"But I've already seen what your pokemon can do!" May thought nervously, though she said nothing as the girl pulled her along. Angela let go only when they were a few feet away from her two pokemon, at which point Angela picked up one of them in each arm and brought them back to May to show her.

"What do you think?" Angela asked her, smiling widely. "The blue one is a Huntail, I named her Bitey because she bites the people I don't like."

"Yeah...I saw that..." May said, feeling nervous having the very pokemon she witnessed tear up a man's shoulder being less than a foot from her face.

"And the pink one is Gorebyss, I named him Gorey because he stabs people I don't like with his mouth and then sucks out their bodily fluids." Angela then said, still wearing the same smile as she said this.

"That really does sound...gory..." May replied nervously, slowly backing away.

"Don't worry! They wouldn't hurt you, May!" Angela said to her. "Beside that, any pokemon could beat these two! They only hatched as Clamperl's a few days ago and my parents made them evolve shortly after and gave them to me, that's why they're so small too."

"-Hey now...-" "-That wasn't very nice...-" Bitey and Gorey said respectively.

"Oh, and there's my dad's Sharpedo too." Angela added, glancing back at the water. "He'll protect me, but only 'cause my dad told him to. He won't obey me at all except when I tell him to take me home..."

"How long have you been here anyway?" May asked her.

"I just spent the night here, actually!" Angela replied, grinning. "Don't tell my parents, though! They thought I was spending the night with a friend in Lilycove!"

_"So her parents don't actually know what she's been up to, that explains it then..."_

"Oh...but I should be leaving now actually..." Angela said, frowning. "I just wanted to make sure Team Aqua didn't try to move into my secret base again, and I'm out of juice too..."

"That's right...you were going somewhere when you shined that flashlight on my Flygon, weren't you?" May said to her.

"Oh yeah! My stuff!" Angela dropped her two pokemon as she suddenly remembered, then dashed off toward the darkened corridor again with her flashlight in hand. "I'll be right back!" She called back, then moved past Flygon and disappeared into the corridor.

"-At least she didn't shine it in my eyes this time.-" Flygon muttered to himself, glancing back at her.

"Your trainer seems kinda...eccentric." May said to Bitey and Gorey, smiling nervously. The two pokemon narrowed their eyes at her.

"-'Seems'?-"

"-'Kinda'?-"

After a few minutes, Angela emerged from the dark corridor carrying a blue waterproof bag. The bag was tied closed at the top and contained the items she brought for her 'sleepover'. "Ok! Now I'm ready to go!" She announced. "I don't really want to leave now but I have to get home before my parents call my friend's place and find out I wasn't there..."

"You shouldn't be lying to your parents about where you're going." May said to her. "What if something happened and Team Aqua was able to get their hands on you?"

"Then you'll just have to be here to protect me!" Angela said, grinning widely.

"Ehhh?!" May blinked in disbelief. "But...that's not what I meant at all!"

Before May could muster a more thought out response, Angela grabbed her two pokemon and ran to the water's edge where her father's Sharpedo was waiting for her. "Bye, May! See you later!" Angela called back, then hopped on Sharpedo and sped away.

May sighed. "Why do I get the feeling I've just been played for a fool by a seven year old girl?" She wondered aloud.

"-Probably because she just tricked you into becoming the 'friend' she's having sleepovers with.-" Flygon said to her. "-I don't know whether the child is foolish or crafty, but either way I can most definitely catch up to that pokemon she was riding. I am sure you realize this.-"

"Though...come to think of it..." May turned, looking around the interior of the hideout. "I bet this place has no rent..."

It was Flygon's turn to sigh. "-Or just dive head first into her trap.-"

"It's secludded, Team Aqua isn't using it anymore, and definitely free." A grin began to spread across May's face. "With the prize money I got from beating the Elite Four that time I could definitely afford one of those generators that are charged by an electric pokemon, and maybe some furniture if I need it. I could just live out here and never have to worry about stalkers again!"

_"On the other hand, maybe that WOULD be for the best."_ Flygon thought, shrugging. _"Not that I could actually give her my opinion either way."_

"Right next to Lilycove too, which is much more like home than Littleroot is!" May said excitedly. Her enthusiastic smile then quickly faded into a contemplative expression. "Come to think of it...they're having a sale today on the roof. Maybe I can find some furniture there for my new hideout."

May looked back at Flygon and nodded to him. "Ok, I've decided! I'm going to live here, but right now we're going to head back into Lilycove to check out that rooftop sale!"

* * *

May left the hideout, once again riding Flygon. She passed over the heads of the four Aqua grunts that Angela beat along the way, the leader of the group having his shirt removed and being used for a bandage. It already looked like it was damp with his blood. The other three grunts were helping him along.

_"If that's what Angela did to him last time then I can see why they'd give up in a hurry."_ May thought, shuddering. _"That's a side of her I could have done without seeing I think."_

She and Flygon then continued into town, heading back toward the Lilycove Department Store and landing on the roof. One of the shopkeepers there gave her an angry look when he heard her land.

"Damn kids! You can't just land up..." The shopkeeper stopped himself when he realized who he was talking to. "Oh! My apologies, May! You can land here whenever you want!"

"This job comes with odd perks." May said under her breath. Flygon nodded in agreement.

"May! Over here!" May heard a familiar voice calling out to her. Looking around the rooftop she spotted the young Lilycove idol, Suzy, waving at her. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt and a pair of black bike shorts, her clothing matching one of her pokemon as usual. May quickly recalled Flygon and went over to greet her.

"I don't think I've made a trip to Lilycove yet without running into you, Suzy!" May said, smiling.

"Well of course! I'm the Lilycove idol for a reason, you know!" Suzy replied with a wide grin. "So what brings you here anyway?"

"Err...well..." May rubbed the back of her neck. "A couple reasons really...but right now I'm here to see if there's any furniture or anything like that at this sale."

"Oh, there's plenty of that." Suzy assured her, pointing to a nearby salesman. "They didn't take any of that stuff up here, but if you talk to him he'll show you the stuff they have and sell it to you. What are you looking for furniture for anyway?" Suzy peered at her curiously. "You didn't get an apartment around here or something, did you?"

"Something like that, actually." May replied, smiling sheepishly. "They wouldn't happen to have power generators on sale, would they?"

"Umm..." Suzy blinked. "I...don't think they have them here at all. You'd probably have to order something like that out of a catalog or something. I come here pretty much everyday and I've never seen any sort of power generator being sold."

_"Guess I'll have to ask Melany where she got one from then."_ May thought.

"Where are you staying that you'd need something like that for anyway?" Suzy asked her, then smirked. "Or are you just trying to use your pokemon to avoid paying an electric bill?"

"Umm...let's go with that." May replied nervously. She didn't want to tell Suzy she was staying in Team Aqua's old hideout. "By the way, Suzy, you're...pretty popular around here, right?"

Suzy rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Well duh!"

"Have you ever had to deal with...stalkers?"

"Hmm...I used to." Suzy replied with a shrug. "Then I started using Vigoroth to chase them away. And then it evolved into Slaking and haven't had an issue since. Apparently the threat of having their arms ripped out of their sockets works well."

"That...isn't that going overboard a bit?!" May asked nervously.

"Of course not!" Suzy shot back. "Anyone stalking young girls like that deserves to be beat to within an inch of their life!"

"I don't know...using pokemon to attack another person doesn't seem right somehow."

"May, you're the champion!" Suzy said indignantly. "If you're having trouble with stalkers then just roast them with that flaming, kick-boxing bird thing you have!"

"You mean Blaziken?"

"Yeah, that!" Suzy said. "Anyway, if you're thinking of moving to Lilycove because of stalkers, then that's not solving your problem! That's just running away! You need to beat up those perverts and teach them not to mess with you!"

"...Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll do that!" May nodded. "Ok then, I'll just have Blaziken beat up a stalker or two. However many it takes for them to get the message!"

"That's more like it!" Suzy said with a smug grin.

_"Now that I think about it, I tend to hit Melany a lot, don't I?"_ May thought to herself. _"I used to hit her anytime things got a bit...awkward, even though it's usually accidental, but I didn't think about causing bodily harm to actual perverts until Suzy mentioned it."_ May blinked. _"Wait...was I really just hitting her, when I thought she was Alex, because I liked her?!"_ She quickly shook her head. _"No way! I'm not that childish!"_

"You ok, May?" Suzy asked her when she suddenly shook her head.

"I'm...I'm fine, really! I was just thinking about something!" May replied, blushing slightly in embarassment.

Suzy shrugged. "If you say so. Anyway, you still moving to Lilycove?"

May nodded. "I think so. I like Lilycove a lot better than Littleroot. I mean, I'm used to living in a city like Goldenrod where you can find pretty much anything but there's nothing at all in Littleroot."

"Well in that case, we can still go shopping together!"

"I guess so." May replied, nodding. "By the way...whatever happened between you and Wally? Last I saw you two, you were still clinging to him..."

"Oh yeah..." Suzy looked deep in thought for a moment. "It's the strangest thing but...he disappears whenever I mention shopping."

_"That wasn't quite what I was asking but I think that still answers my question."_ May thought.

* * *

May spent the rest of the morning shopping, buying several dolls, a slide, and a tv for her recently 'acquired' hideout. She was also able to find a phone number for a company she could order a power generator from, but would have to wait a few days before it'd be delivered. In the meantime, after getting a tour around Lilycove from Suzy to get to know her new neighbourhood, May went home to wait for her delivery.

Later that night, after May had returned home and went to bed, one of the very stalkers that had been causing her trouble was waiting just below her window. The stranger wore a black trenchcoat and a mask to conceal his identity but, from his build, was clearly several years older than May.

Raising his hand up, his Swellow grabbed it in its talons and flew straight up, hoisting the man into the air until he was level with May's bedroom window. The lights were out and the curtains drawn, so he couldn't actually see in. But he had more pokemon with him, so that wouldn't be a problem. The window was even open.

"Heh heh heh, with this mask on no one will recognize my face even if I'm caught!" The man said, snickering to himself. Suddenly, the curtains were drawn out of the way and May was standing in the window with a pokeball in her hand. "Wh-what?!"

"Oh, no one will recognize your face alright." May said to him, grinning as she held out the pokeball. "Not when my Blaziken is through with it."

Moments later, the entire neighbourhood would be awakened by the stalker's screams of agony.

* * *

Author's Notes: No one important was harmed in the writing of this chapter.

I played with ideas in my mind a few times for how this chapter would go, with the main thing being "May goes to Lilycove to take a break, runs into Suzy". Then I remembered Team Aqua's hideout as I was getting ready to write the chapter and it became more focused on that instead, resulting in Suzy getting a short bit at the end and Wally getting a brief mention. Of course, Wally will get his own showing in Chapter 12 anyway.

I think this was the most violent chapter yet. The most blatant of which resulted from a specific character. I'd hate to think what she'd do to someone who was blocking her path for no apparent reason.


	11. Chapter 11: Direction

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company. You know, standard disclaimer stuff. Now that that's out of the way...**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Direction**

Date: 14 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

After being home for just over a week, Rina was now flying with Knight over the ocean between Mossdeep and the Johto region. With Jirachi contained in one of her pokeballs, the two of them were able to see the relatively small pokeball-shaped island in the middle of the sea. Just having a legendary pokemon in a pokeball with her was enough for Rina to pass through the barrier.

"Ok, Knight, set down near the... umm... headquarters." Rina instructed her pokemon, pointing toward the wooden structure. It was the only building on the island. Rina felt kinda silly calling the place a 'headquarters' as it was almost comparable to a log cabin in the middle of the woods. Knight made a sharp turn, flying toward the building and then landing several feet away from it. Rina hopped down off Knight's back but didn't bother to recall him. All of their pokemon were kept out of their pokeballs on the island.

"It's been too long since I've been here!" Rina said, smiling widely. Looking around the island, she could see many of Ashley's, May's, Melany's, and even her own pokemon either resting, playing, or training with each other. "I just hope I'm not disturbing anything, last time we were here was when May and Melany went on their date..."

"-Somehow, I don't think you're disturbing anything.-" Knight said to her, pointing to a gray tombstone sticking out of the ground nearby.

"Huh?" Rina looked in the direction Knight was pointing in and blinked. "Is that...a tombstone!?" After taking a closer look, reading what was inscribed on it, she gasped and fell to her knees. "N-no way..."

"-'Here lies Melany'.-" Knight said, reading the tombstone aloud. "-'Killed by a rampaging Ursaring.' Wouldn't that be...?-"

"The Ursaring I caught..." Rina said quietly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I...I should have warned her somehow...but with all the pokemon here I didn't think it would really..."

"Oh, you're back, are you?" Rina quickly spun around when she heard a familiar voice behind her and saw Melany standing in the open doorway of the headquarters.

"M-Melany?! But then..." Rina looked back at the tombstone.

"Wondering about that?" Melany asked her. "A cruel joke left by someone who was just a little bitter after having an enraged Ursaring dumped on them. Speaking of which." Melany unclipped a purple and white pokeball from her belt, then tossed it toward Rina. Rina barely managed to catch it.

"That's your problem. Deal with it." Melany then turned and headed back into the headquarters, closing the door behind her.

"She...sounded upset." Rina said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"-That was still uncalled for, making you think you got her killed.-" Knight said bitterly. "-If it wasn't for the language barrier, and the fact I can't fit through that door, I'd give her a piece of my mind.-"

"Don't worry about her." Rina said, standing up and placing the masterball on her belt. "That Ursaring probably caused a lot of trouble when I sent it to her that day, and probably really could have killed her if she released it without any pokemon around to protect her."

"-You're too forgiving if you ask me.-"

"And you're too overbearing." Rina shot back. "Anyway, I'm going inside to talk to her. But first..." Rina took each pokeball from her belt, releasing her pokemon one by one. Pippi, Jirachi, Miss Esp the Espeon, Berg the Blastoise, and Berry the Butterfree all emerged from their pokeballs.

"Ok, we're back on the island, guys! Feel free to relax and do whatever you want!" Rina said to them. With the exception of Pippi and Miss Esp, the pokemon all went off on their own.

"-Huh? What's that?-" Pippi said, checking out the tombstone. Miss Esp took a closer look as well.

"Melany's idea of a joke, apparently." Rina said to them. "Anyway, I'm heading inside. You guys can come with me if you want."

"-I'll stay here I think.-" Miss Esp said to her.

"-I'm going with you!-" Pippi said eagerly. Rina nodded and then went into the wooden headquarters with Pippi following along behind her.

"-A joke indeed...-" Miss Esp mumbled, taking another look at the tombstone. "-I certainly don't find it very humorous.-"

"-Then that makes two of us.-" Knight said to her, folding his arms in front of him. "-I don't care how bad that Ursaring was, pulling that on Rina was uncalled for.-"

"-Agreed.-"

* * *

Inside the headquarters...

"Hmm...this place is kinda big, huh? Bigger than most homes anyway..." Rina said to herself, looking around the kitchen and dining area. It was the first room she arrived in after coming inside.

"I wonder where Melany went then...hmm..." Rina thought for a moment and then glanced down at Pippi, taking notice of her large ears. "Pippi...can you see if you can hear anything?"

"-Sure!-" Pippi replied with an enthusiastic nod. She then closed her eyes and focused, her ears twitching occassionally as she tried to pick up any sounds in the building. From another room, she could faintly make out a repeated tapping sound.

"-I can hear tapping...sounds like she's using one of those things with all the lettered and numbered buttons on it.-" Pippi said to Rina.

"A computer keyboard then...so she must be in the computer room!" Rina and Pippi nodded and then went off through the building, heading toward the computer room.

The kitchen opened up into a hallway and the two headed left, passing the room they referred to as the 'power plant' and into the next one. Melany was sitting at the computer typing away and didn't hear Rina and Pippi stop outside the room. Rather than go inside, they decided to stay outside and watch for a bit.

"Looks like she's looking at some kind of website." Rina said quietly, then sighed. "I could never do anything like that. Last time I wanted to see something on the internet I had to get Ashley to do it for me..."

"-Why not just learn?-" Pippi suggested. An idea struck her and she snapped her fingers. "-Hey! I know! Maybe there's a TM to teach the Computer Use technique?-"

"I...I don't think humans can use TM's, Pippi." Rina quietly replied, smiling. "It'd be nice if humans could learn things that easily..."

"-Oh yeah...-" Pippi sighed. "-Humans...-"

Rina giggled at her and then looked back in the room at Melany. "Its odd though...I thought May would be with her."

"-Maybe May never actually came back?-" Pippi suggested. "-I don't think she was even there the day we were leaving, come to think of it...-"

"Well, since we're here, we could just ask Melany." Rina said to her. Pippi nodded and the two of them went inside.

"Hey! Melany! How did your date with May go that time?" Rina asked. The spontaneity of her question caused Pippi to fall flat on her face. Melany blinked and turned around to look at her.

"That's kind of an odd question to ask out of the blue..."

"W-well I didn't get the chance to ask you before I left last time and you came back alone, didn't you?" Rina replied, grinning widely to try not to look unnerved by Melany's response.

"I don't think she's even asking the right question..." Pippi thought, sitting up and rubbing her head with her paws.

"Well...it went pretty good I guess." Melany replied with a shrug. "Aside from the reporters anyway. Don't get the wrong idea though, it was just a date between friends. Sort of."

"You mean...you two aren't together?" Rina asked, looking a little surprised. "Oh wow...guess I really did get the wrong idea..."

Melany shrugged and turned back to her computer. "Last I checked, May was interested in guys. You could say I know that first hand."

"Oh yeah..."

"So what made you decide to come back to the island now, anyway?" Melany asked Rina, meanwhile her hands returned to the mouse and keyboard in front of her to navigate the website she had up.

Rina blushed slightly and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well...I was only staying away to give you and May some time alone. With so many pokemon here I'd rather stay here than go home."

"-And all she does at home is watch tv anyway.-" Pippi said, nodding sagely.

Melany couldn't help but smile to herself and shake her head. "Even if we were together, its hard to get any alone time with so many pokemon on the island."

"Hehe...I guess that's true..." Rina replied. "So what HAS May been up to then? I was kinda hoping to get her Blaziken to help teach Hiro a new technique."

"May? Well..." Melany opened another window in her browser and navigated to a piece of news she happened to have bookmarked, then moved aside. "See for yourself."

Rina leaned in to take a closer look and gasped when she read it. "Is...is that for real?!"

"Its been all over the news in Hoenn." Melany assured her.

"-What's it say? What's it say?!-" Pippi asked, pulling on the back of Rina's pant leg.

"It says a guy was caught peeping on May and he's been taken to a hospital in Mauville with multiple bone fractures, most in the back." Rina said to Pippi. "She...she used her Blaziken to do that!"

Pippi blinked in disbelief. "-Wow...that sounds pretty severe! But she's kinda violent anyway, isn't she?-"

"But ordering a pokemon to attack someone..."

"Honestly, I can't say I blame her." Melany said with a shrug. "Though, what she's been doing is more than a little excessive. Even for her it seems unusual that she'd go that far. I would have figured her to be the type to just have Blaziken hold them down while she punches them in the face."

"Something else you know first hand?" Rina asked, smiling wrly.

"Heh...well..." Melany grinned slightly and scratched the back of her head. "I usually manage to get away with just an elbow to the stomach or a shoe to the face. She did break my nose once, but I don't think that was entirely intentional..."

"-Wow. I had no idea humans were so...-" Pippi narrowed her eyes at Melany. "-Fragile.-"

"Even breaking your nose is pretty tame compared to what she did to that guy..."

"That's the second one too." Melany said to Rina. "The first guy had third degree burns on his face and second degree burns on most of his upper body. Blaziken again. Couldn't have been a direct hit, though, that's for sure."

"W-what?!" Rina yelled, nearly falling back in shock. "That REALLY sounds painful!"

Melany nodded and glanced toward the screen again. "Either these guys really pushed May over the edge or she's started hanging around with some kind of psycho. And I can't see May hanging around with someone like that."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the old Team Aqua hideout...

"Muwahahaha! This time I'll beat you for sure!" Team Aqua's wannabe leader, having been repelled by Angela again, was now making another attempt at reclaiming the old hideout from her. Now, however, May was also with her. Both girls were standing on the dock with only Angela's two pokemon, Huntail and Gorebyss, outside of their pokeballs. The Aqua himself was on a yellow inflatable raft and wearing a skeletal steel suit around his body, giving him an extra pair of arms as both of his own were disabled.

"How...where did you even get something like that?" May asked, looking over the suit with a confused expression.

"This exo-skeleton armor is a rental, but its powerful enough to handle any pokemon you throw at me!" The man proudly boasted.

"Umm...there's a lot of gaps in it though." Angela pointed out to him. "I mean, it doesn't give you much protection. But even if it did, coming here on an inflatable raft wasn't too bright either...Gorey?"

The small, pink Gorebyss hopped off the dock and into the water. The man watched the pokemon curiously as it swam up to his inflatable raft. Gorebyss took one quick stab at it, penetrating the material with its thin, straw-like mouth. Air immediately started to leak out.

"C-crap...I didn't think this through!" The man cried out. It wasn't long before it no longer could support his weight, sending him plummeting straight down into the water.

"Well, I WAS going to let Blaziken test out his claim about the suit, but..." May sighed and shrugged. "Too late now I guess. We should probably drag him to shore, though..."

Angela groaned. "Whyyyy? Its not like anyone will miss him! He doesn't even have anyone following him now!"

"Because killing is still wrong." May replied, reaching for a pokeball.

"Oh...well if you say so, it must be true!" Angela said, beaming happily.

_"Does she even listen to her parents anymore?!"_ May wondered nervously. _"Why do I have to be the one to explain something so basic?"_

* * *

"...Well I guess if I had stalkers, I'd probably be tempted to have Pippi shock them a bit too." Rina said thoughtfully.

Sparks shot out from Pippi's cheeks, narrowing her eyes in anger. "-And I'd happily comply! I won't let anyone harm Rina!-"

"It's not so much that stalkers 'harm' you. Or usually don't. Not physically at least. It's more like...umm..." Rina folded her arms in front of her as she thought over how to word it. Melany looked back at her curiously when she heard her addressing Pippi.

"Well...a stalker is someone who follows you around, spying on you. It can be pretty distressing, or worse depending on what kind of motives they have..."

"From what I heard, people have been trying to get pictures of May when she's asleep, or undressing, or in the shower." Melany said to them. Rina froze when she heard this. "In other words, not only stalkers, but perverts and pedos."

Rina gulped nervously. "Poor May...I hope she'll be ok..."

"Considering she's hospitalized two of them, and has at least one Psychic pokemon that could tell her if she's being watched, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"-I don't get it...that doesn't sound that bad at all.-" Pippi said, peering quizically at Rina. "-Does this have to do with that whole 'only certain people special to her are allowed see a girl naked' thing?-"

"Something like that..."

Pippi sighed. "-I still don't get that.-"

"You know..." Melany began, interrupting Rina and Pippi's conversation. "I'm surprised that ability of your's hasn't gotten you unwanted attention. I'm surprised no one's tried to dissect you to figure out how it works."

"M-MELANY!" Rina shrieked, cringing at the word 'dissect'.

Melany shrugged. "Just saying. You're probably the envy of pretty much every pokemon researcher out there. Ever consider becoming one?"

"I thought about it before but it sounds like a lot of hard work." Rina smiled. "Though maybe working with one as a translator might not be too bad!"

"-If you're going to be a pokemon researcher, then I get to be a human researcher.-" Pippi said, nodding to herself. Rina couldn't help but giggle at her.

Melany smirked. "That seems like it'd suit you somehow. And maybe you could run a pokemon daycare or something on the side."

"Hey! Yeah! That'd be a great idea!" Rina said with a wide grin spreading across her face. "But I think that's a long way...huh?" Rina blinked when she heard the tapping at the keyboard. Melany was looking at the website again. Rina peered over her shoulder, trying to see what Melany was looking at. She could make out the name of the site at the top of the page.

"Champion Photography?" Rina blinked. "What's that?"

"Ashley's new website." Melany explained, continuing to scroll through the page. A list of pokemon names was displayed in numerical order, each name a link to a page of photos Ashley had taken. "She takes pictures of pokemon and displays them on the site. Not much there yet, but she's been taking requests."

"What kind of requests?" Rina asked.

"Requests for what pokemon she should get pictures of next." The slightest formed on Melany's lips, though Rina was standing behind her and didn't notice. "Seems someone has asked her to take photos of each of Hoenn's gym leaders alongside their signature pokemon. She has half of them done so far..."

"Wha! Someone asked her to travel all over Hoenn just to take pictures?!" Rina frowned. "That's kinda mean..."

"I suppose it is." Melany replied in a completely deadpan tone. "Though I have absolutely no idea who would ask her to do such a thing."

"-Melany is acting a bit suspicious if you ask me.-" Pippi said quietly, narrowing her eyes at Melany.

"At least Ashley doesn't have to battle them." Rina whispered to Pippi in response. "That must make it a bit easier than if she was after their badges..."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Petalburg City just outside Norman's gym...

Ashley hopped off Pidgeot's back, the evolved bird pokemon replacing Zapdos as Ashley's main mode of transportation to give it a break from flying her all around Hoenn, and looked up at the building that stood before her. It was the fifth of Hoenn's gyms that she had come to for photos.

"Norman...so he trains normal-type pokemon." Ashley said to herself, looking at a sign posted on the front of the gym. She then smiled to herself. "Brawly, Wattson, and Flannery all had some interesting pokemon to show off and I didn't even have to battle them. Norman's signature pokemon is something called a 'Slaking', wonder if it'll be as interesting as the others?"

"-I'd be more interested if they were flying types.-" Pidgeot mumbled to himself.

Ashley turned around to face Pidgeot, taking his pokeball in her hand. "Ok, I'll be going in on my own from here. Thanks for the lift, Pidgeot." Ashley then held out the pokeball and recalled her pokemon. She then turned back toward the gym while clipping the pokeball to her belt. Taking her camera in hand, the reached for the gym doors and then opened them and stepped inside.

"You must be Ashley." A man's voice said as soon as she had entered. Norman was already waiting for her, sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the gym with both his Spinda and Slaking standing next to him. The Spinda was constantly wobbling back and forth, as if it were drunk.

"Well if you know who I am I don't have to explain why I'm here then." Ashley replied, smiling. "So! Are either of those pokemon the one called 'Slaking'? I heard that's your signature pokemon."

Norman gestured toward the buff, ape-like pokemon as he stood up. "This is Slaking. He is an incredibly powerful pokemon, held back only by his species trait, Truant. With that said..." Norman looked intently at Ashley. "Before allowing you to take a picture, I request a battle."

_"I just had to jinx it."_ Ashley thought, trying not to show her dismay. "Ok, how many pokemon then?" She asked Norman, dropping her camera and letting it hang loosely around her neck.

"One pokemon each." Norman replied. "Specifically, I wish for my Slaking to battle Groudon."

Ashley blinked in disbelief. "Are...you serious? You really want to battle Groudon, one-on-one, with Slaking?"

"Precisely." Norman replied, nodding affirmatively. "I want to test the true extent of Slaking's power." He then gestured to the Spinda standing on his right. "This pokemon is called Spinda, and mine knows a technique called Skill Swap. With that technique, Spinda can remove the ability hindering my Slaking and allow it to reach its full potential." Slaking snorted and slammed its fists together. Ashley could already tell that it looked anything but lazy.

"Looks like he already had his Spinda use Skill Swap." Ashley thought while reaching for Groudon's pokeball. "Ok, if that's what you want, then fine by me. Just don't be too surprised if your pokemon still isn't a match for this one!"

"Whether or not that will be the case is what I intend to find out." Norman replied, gesturing for his Slaking to move out onto the gym's battlefield. The Slaking nodded and took a few steps forward, stepping over the white line that indicated the edge of the battlefield and moving several feet in.

Ashley held out a yellow and black pokeball and pressed the release button. "Groudon, go!" The pokeball opened and released Groudon. The red beast appeared on the battlefield, towering over its opponent. Groudon let out a mighty roar that shook the gym and its very presence caused the weather outside to suddenly become incredibly hot. Groudon's gaze fell upon Slaking, a pokemon that stood only slightly over half Groudon's height.

"-Tch...am I to be teased with the prospect of battle again?-" Groudon growled, recalling its encounter with Roxanne.

_"Groudon...somehow it doesn't appear nearly as menacing as it did back then."_ Norman thought, recalling the clash between Groudon and Kyogre at Sootopolis. _"Now that there is a trainer holding its leash, Groudon seems like nothing more than a challenging opponent for me to overcome. And overcome it I shall!"_

"Slaking, begin with Bulk Up!" Norman commanded, holding his hand out toward his pokemon. Slaking flexed and its muscles bulged, strengthening its body.

_"Norman seems pretty confident in that pokemon's strength, but he's taking a lot of liberties here."_ Ashley thought to herself. _"Confined in a gym like this, one without an open floor, Groudon can't use its strongest attacks like Earthquake without risk of bringing the whole place down. Further..."_ Ashley looked at Norman's Spinda, lying on the ground. In its dizzied dance it managed to fall over and seemed like it couldn't be bothered to get back up. _"With that pokemon swapping abilities with Slaking, he's technically using two pokemon. We're at a disadvantage before we even start, but..."_

"Groudon, let's see just how strong that pokemon is! Attack with Slash!" Ashley called out. Groudon growled and raised its right hand back, brandishing its claws. It took a swipe at Norman's Slaking, but Slaking reached up and blocked Groudon's attack with its hand. Groudon's large claws were less than a foot away from Slaking's face, but the pokemon didn't seem at all intimidated. Mustering his strength, Slaking tossed Groudon's hand aside and left it swiping at the empty air next to Slaking.

"It blocked Groudon's attack...it must be at least as strong as Groudon after that Bulk Up." Ashley thought, a slight smirk crossing her lips. "I can see why Norman was so confident in this strategy then. With a bit more training, it might not even need a boost to match Groudon's strength."

"Seems we've managed to match the legendary Groudon's strength." Norman said with a smug grin. Groudon growled, feeling a rage starting to build in itself after having an ordinary pokemon so easily block its attack.

"-You! Don't you dare get cocky!-" Groudon said, pointing its claws at Slaking. "-Underestimate me and I'll rip your arms out of their sockets!-"

"-Funny, I was about to say the same to you.-" Slaking replied, cracking his knuckles.

"Its a shame I didn't think of this strategy sooner." Norman said remorsefully. "If I did, then I could have fought in my daughter's place at Sootopolis..."

"Daughter?" Ashley asked. _"The trainers that fought at Sootopolis... they were Melany and May, weren't they? And he's definitely not Melany's father, so that leaves..."_

"I suppose you might not know this yet, not being from this region, but I am the father of Hoenn's newest champion, May." Norman said to Ashley. She couldn't help but notice the faintest of smiles as he said this. "If you were to battle her then you would be in for a rough time at best!"

"You know, you'd think she might have mentioned this to you already, but I do happen to know her." Ashley said to Norman. "You might even say we're friends, though its funny she never mentioned that her father was a gym leader..."

"-How is it I, the great Groudon, am continually forgotten in the midst of battle by these mortals?!-" Groudon growled, flexing its claws.

"-That impatient to lose, big guy?-" Slaking said to it, sounding quite confident in its newfound strength. Groudon glared at him.

"We can discuss this later." Norman said to Ashley. "It seems our pokemon are getting restless."

"Right, about that..." Ashley gestured toward Norman's Slaking. "Your pokemon is pretty tough, no doubt, but you're forgetting two things in all this planning."

"And what would that be?" Norman asked, his curioisity piqued.

"First, though Groudon is primarily a physical attacker, it's own ability allows it to fire a powerful Solarbeam whenever it wants." Ashley explained, pointing toward a window behind her. The sun was visible in the horizon, shining with a blinding intensity. "Further, that same ability gives fire attacks a boost, and Groudon happens to know Fire Blast. So a Fire Blast from Groudon is still going to hurt."

"I see..." Norman replied, nodding slightly. "As it happens, special-type attacks are Slaking's weakpoint. Both offensively and defensively."

"There's still one other thing." Ashley added, then called out to Groudon. "Groudon, use Bulk Up!" Groudon let out a low growl and flexed its arms. The white underside of its body could be seen to become more muscular, but the hard red armor covering its body appeared unchanged.

"So Groudon can use Bulk Up as well..." Norman chuckled to himself and shook his head. "I never would have guessed...it never displayed such a technique at Sootopolis, and my experience with the legendary pokemon comes solely from that."

"Is...that so?" Ashley asked, blinking in disbelief. "So...you didn't know your daughter has Kyogre?"

"Sh-she has what?!" Norman exclaimed in disbelief. "Impossible! Melany was the one who caught Kyogre!"

"Which she gave to May right after the battle in which May fought it." Ashley raised an eyebrow at him. "You two don't talk much, do you? You know, it might not hurt to get out of the gym once in a while."

"She had the legendary Kyogre that long without me realizing." Norman mumbled to himself in disbelief.

"Anyway, now that that's settled, you don't still want to go through with this battle, do you?" Ashley asked him. Norman thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"No, I know now that there will be no easy road to match a legendary pokemon's power without catching one yourself. Slaking and I will need much more training before that can happen..."

"Good." Ashley held out Groudon's pokeball again. "Groudon, return." Groudon was stunned when it heard the words leave Ashley's lips. Before it could protest, it dematerialized into an energy-like state and was pulled into the pokeball. Ashley then placed the pokeball back on her belt and took her camera in her hands.

"Now, about that photo..."

* * *

"She's already halfway done and should be getting Norman's photo now anyway." Melany said to Rina. "She's been able to get a gym leader a day, so its not like she's been having much trouble with it." Her voice then fell to barely above a whisper. "Unfortunately..."

"What was that?" Rina asked, unable to make out the last word Melany said.

Melany shrugged. "Nothing. Probably."

"-She doesn't sound too sure for some reason...-" Pippi noted, eying Melany suspiciously. She shrugged it off and then looked toward Rina. "-By the way, wasn't there something you wanted to ask her, Rina?-"

"Oh yeah!" Rina nodded and then turned to Melany. "Melany! What happened when I sent Ursaring to you?"

"Hmm..." Melany thought for a moment, her eyes still fixated on the computer screen. "Well, I was about to head out to train Latias a bit when it came through so I took the pokeball out with me. It tried to attack me when I finally released it, but Latias and Latios were there to fight it. Latias was knocked out, but Latios managed to finish it."

Rina blinked in disbelief. "Two on one and it managed to knock one of them out."

"It's Latias." Melany replied with a shrug. "Supposedly the more durable of the two but she whines whenever she gets hit."

"No one got hurt though?" Rina asked. Melany shook her head no and Rina breathed a sigh of relief. "Well that's good. By the way..."

"Hmm?" Melany glanced back at her.

"Ashley's already out doing photography, and I told you what I want to do, but what about you? You don't plan to just stay cooped up on this island forever, do you?"

"Of course not!" Melany quickly replied, shaking her head. "As soon as I turn fourteen I'm taking the junior researcher exam. After working with other researchers for a few years I can become a full fledged researcher myself."

"YOU want to be a pokemon researcher?!" Rina said in disbelief. "But... but didn't you used to be into geography or something?"

"Archaeology." Melany corrected her. "And I was into that for the same reasons I want to be a researcher now. To discover the secrets of the legendary pokemon."

"I guess that kinda makes sense..." Rina said thoughtfully. As she thought it over for a moment, a smile started to form. "Well if you're going to be a pokemon researcher... then I can be your assistant!"

Melany shrugged. "Works for me...but thats years down the road, you really want to wait that long?"

"I'm in no rush, I'm still a trainer afterall." Rina said, smiling. "Anyway, I need to go check on the rest of my pokemon, but I could make dinner later if you'd like?"

"Umm...sure." Melany replied. The question caught her off guard, but she had been eating nothing but microwave dinners. She certainly wasn't going to complain.

"Ok! See you then!" Rina said, then ran off outside with Pippi.

"Can cook and talk to pokemon..." Melany said to herself. "Definitely good qualities for a research assistant..." She smirked lightly to herself and turned her attention back to the computer.

_"Now, let's see if there's any rare pokemon I can send Ashley after when she's finished her gym leader quest."_ Melany thought, grinning to herself. _"Chimecho is sounding pretty good right about now..."_

* * *

Author's Notes: Originally, this chapter was just going to be Rina and Melany. However, a few people mentioned they wanted to see Ashley meeting Norman after the chapter with Roxanne. It wasn't something I wanted to dedicate a full chapter to, so I put it in this one alongside a brief scene with May at her new 'secret base', as well as Angela who now technically isn't lying when she says she's sleeping over at a friend's place...

I didn't have a whole lot planned for the Ashley/Norman scene because I wasn't quite sure what they'd say to each other, or if there was really anything to be said. The idea of Slaking, with a base stat total in the same range as most 'uber' legendary pokemon (670, Mewtwo has 680 for those who don't get too heavily into the statistics) going up against Groudon minus its Truant ability seemed like it could make an interesting scene.

One thing I did have planned for this chapter but left out was a mention of 4th gen evolutions. Was going to have Melany mention looking into possible unknown evolved forms of their pokemon after Rina's Tangela picks up Ancient Power from some of the other pokemon and suddenly evolves into Tangrowth. That didn't fit in well, though, because I didn't originally have that cruel joke from Melany at the beginning. So Tangela spontaneously evolving can be saved for a later chapter.

Time skip between this chapter and the next will be pretty big compared to previous chapters as, from this point on, each chapter will cover a more 'major' event. Up until now a lot of focus was on how the girls' lives changed and what direction they're going in. In fact, chapter 13 will take place over a year after the sanctuary was formed. I don't quite have an exact date for chapter 12 yet, though, but it'll be a few months anyway.


	12. Chapter 12: A Challenger Approaches

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company. You know, standard disclaimer stuff. Now that that's out of the way...**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Twelve**

**A Challenger Approaches**

Date: 6 months after the Sanctuary's completion.

It was a fairly typical, quiet day at the Sanctuary. Life had been pretty routine for the four girls the past six months. May would spend most of her time in Lilycove, checking out the city and fixing up her new 'home'. Ashley continued taking requests for pokemon photos. Melany and Rina spent most of their time on the island itself, taking care of the pokemon there and setting up training regimens to keep the pokemon in shape.

Today, however, was not nearly as typical. Early morning found Melany and Rina hovering on their pokemon, Metagross and Knight, just outside the island's barrier. They were quite far away from each other, barely able to even see each other, and communicating through pokenavs.

"Looks like I can still see the island afterall, going to try an approach now." Melany said, speaking into her pokenav. "If this doesn't work I'll end up on the far side of the barrier."

"Got it. We'll keep watch from here." Rina replied through the pokenav.

"Ok, Metagross, move forward slowly." Melany instructed. Metagross began to hover closer to the island while Melany kept her eye on a second pokenav, the one her version two Porygon was inhabiting. A number on the pokenav displayed her estimated distance from the barrier in meters. The barrier itself couldn't be seen, so it was impossible to know when she passed it.

The number on the pokenav counted down, eventually turning negative. Melany let the number continue to decrease past that, though, until eventually it reached 25 meters past the location where the barrier was believed to be. Melany could still see the island in plain view. Glancing to her left, she could still make out Rina and her Dragonite in the distance.

"Ok, stop here Metagross. I think this is good enough." Melany said to it. Metagross came to a dead stop, hovering in place. Melany then held the newer, version 3 pokenav to her mouth to speak to Rina again. "Looks like having an artifact directly related to a legendary pokemon works as well."

The pokenav was silent for a moment while Rina took this in. After several seconds, her response came through. "I don't get it! Jirachi said there shouldn't be any tricks with that wish, right? So why would one of the crystals be able to substitute for an actual legendary pokemon?"

"I have at least one theory." Melany replied. "Its based on Jirachi's interpretation, right? So maybe an object that could trick Jirachi into thinking a legendary pokemon is present could trick a barrier made by a wish its granted. Having the Ruby in my backpack is probably the same as if I had Groudon itself in a pokeball."

"Could be it." Rina replied.

"In any case, we'll have plenty of time to test these theories when we get back." Melany said into the pokenav. "We don't want to miss May's first match as champion, though its not like we have far to go."

"Hey! Race you there!" Rina's voice said through the pokenav. Before Melany could respond, she saw the silhouette of Rina and Knight suddenly speed off toward Evergrande City.

"H-hey! That's not fair! Metagross isn't that fast in the air!" Melany called out after her, forgetting to use the pokenav. Rina couldn't hear a word she said.

"Damn it." Melany muttered. "Metagross, let's go after them! Agility!" Metagross let out a deep, metallic-sounding growl in agreement and quickly focused. Relaxing its mind, Metagross gained a boost in its speed and then took off after Rina and Knight.

* * *

"So he beat you five just yesterday?" May asked the trainers gathered around her. Within the corridors leading up to Evergrande City's Pokemon League arena, May, Wallace, and the Elite Four were all gathered.

"He's quite capable it seems, and deeply bonded with his pokemon." Wallace, the stylish water master and champion of the Elite Four, winked at her. "Your first challenger could be quite the opponent, do you think you will still walk out of here today as champion?"

"Of course I'll win." May replied, waving her hand dismissively. "If it took him this long to be able to beat you guys then I shouldn't have any problems!"

"I wouldn't be too cocky if I were you." Glacia, a mature older woman and the ice trainer of the Elite Four, cautioned May. "This was also his first attempt to challenge the Elite Four. He spent many months training with the intent of challenging you."

"Aye, and he had pokemon that none of us recognized, you know." Phoebe, the ghost trainer, said to May. "He's done his homework. Those new pokemon of his are evolutions of pokemon from here in Hoenn. The evolved forms were discovered in another region."

"Wish I could say it was a good fight too but, to be honest, he creamed me." Sidney, the dark-type trainer, said, a sheepish grin on his face and his fingers brushing against his mohawk. "But, hey, if you're still champion after this, there's something Phoebe and I want to talk with you about."

"Come on already!" May said to them, throwing her arms down in frustration. "Of course I'll still be champion! I know he's tough but he's definitely not stronger than me! He's still just Wally afterall!"

"You sound quite confident." Drake, dragon master of the Elite Four, said gruffly. "You are no doubt strong for your age, May, but underestimate this boy and your reign as champion will come to an abrupt end."

"Don't worry, I've seen this guy battle before. I know what I'm up against!" May replied.

Wallace shrugged. "We are merely suggesting you use caution. Regardless, it's your show now. We will be eagerly awaiting the results, miss champion." Wallace bowed, making a sweeping gesture with his arm, then turned and left the corridor. The Elite Four followed behind him, leaving May alone in the corridor. She took out her pokenav to check the time.

_"Five minutes until it starts."_ May thought, then smirked to herself. _"This new pokenav is actually pretty neat, I found a whole bunch of new moves I didn't know my pokemon knew. Wally won't be the only one with a few surprises going into this match!"_

May had worn her old travelling outfit, the orange one she wore when she first arrived in Hoenn, for the occassion. It was her first challenger since becoming champion and May wanted to look the part. To her, her old travel outfits had become somewhat symbolic of herself as a trainer.

Putting her pokenav back on her belt, May crept closer to the arena entrance to peek out at the audience. She quickly spotted Ashley sitting near the top row on the right side of the arena from her. Most of the seats around Ashley were empty, making her easy to spot. May could make out several more familiar faces in the crowd including the gym leaders, Suzy, Angela, Professor Birch and his son Brendan. She quickly realized that Melany and Rina didn't seem to be anywhere in sight.

_"Those two aren't here yet? But why?"_ May wondered, frowning. _"I could see Melany being late, but Rina too?"_ May kept her eye on the audience stands for about a minute and, to both her relief and confusion, Rina and Melany finally arrived. _"There they are! But...why are they together?"_

* * *

"I wish I could say I'm surprised to see you two arriving at the same time but, really, I'm not." Ashley said to Melany and Rina with a smug grin, folding her arms in front of her. "So how long have you two been together now?"

"Ashley! That's not it and you know it!" Rina shot back, pouting.

"Wait...why are you teasing Rina?" Melany asked her.

"Teasing?!" Ashley mock gasped. "I would never do such a thing! I always thought you two were perfect for each other!"

"Forget it, Melany would never be with a girl that's just as flat as she is." Suzy, who was sitting in a lower row of seats and listening in on their conversation, said to them. Rina and Ashley looked at her curiously, neither familiar with the girl.

"Melany, who's that?" Rina asked, frowning at being called flat so bluntly.

"No one important." Melany muttered, taking a seat next to Ashley. Suzy shot her a glare, but Melany chose to ignore it.

"You two know each other I take it?" Ashley asked her. Meanwhile, Rina sat down on the opposite side of her, looking at Melany curiously as she hoped for a more informative response.

"We battled twice, three times if you count that one contest. Which I don't."

"Ha! Of course YOU wouldn't count that since its the one time I beat you!" Suzy said, angrily jabbing a finger in Melany's direction.

"No, I don't count that because it was a contest and I still consider them to be a waste of a pokemon's capabilities." Melany calmly retorted. "In any case, I didn't come here to argue with you."

"Hmph. You'd think losing in a contest would change your opinion but I guess you're just too stubborn." Suzy shot back, folding her arms in front of her in a huff.

_"I guess her and Melany don't get along. Something to do with contests?" _Rina thought.

"I'm surprised you're even here. You didn't show up at all when May was challenging the Elite Four!" Suzy looked at Melany suspiciously. "So why show up now? Trying to get back on her good side?"

"That's none of your..."

"If you two keep at it, you're going to miss the battle." Ashley said to them, pointing at the field below. May was entering the field from the Elite Four side and Wally was walking toward the field from the challenger's side.

"...Huh. So it really is Wally challenging her." Melany noted quietly. "I had a feeling he would eventually, though."

"Hehehe! If May's not careful, Wally might even be the new champion when this is over!" Suzy said, grinning widely as she turned in her seat to face the field. "He's even gone to another region for intense training!"

"I bet May's been doing all sorts of intense training too, she'll be able to hold her own!" Rina said enthusiastically. "And she might not have been to another region, but the version 3 pokenav she has would show her all kinds of new techniques her pokemon can use!"

_"I think May might be in for a rough time, actually."_ Melany thought, quietly analyzing the situation. _"Given that she hasn't switched any of her pokemon around much before today, her pokemon wouldn't have gotten much tougher. Hope she hasn't gotten rusty..."_

"Version 3 Pokenav?" Ashley asked, glancing over at Rina.

"Yep! Don't you have one?" Rina said to her. Ashley shook her head.

_"You would have one if you came by the Sanctuary once in a while."_ A voice said in Ashley's head.

Ashley blinked._ "Wait...Aisha? Where the heck is the Ruby then?" _

_"In Melany's backpack."_ Aisha replied. Ashley glanced over at Melany, noticing the light green backpack smooshed between her back and her seat. It was clear she didn't have much in it, almost empty in fact. She was the only one of the three that took one. _"She was testing something with the barrier before departing. I believe she chose not to use the Emerald for testing so she would not have to put up with her own counterpart."_

_"Figures."_ Ashley thought, rolling her eyes. Looking back at the field, she saw that May and Wally were standing at opposite sides now. _"Looks like they're about to start..."_

* * *

Down on the battlefield...

"I had a feeling you'd be challenging me eventually, Wally, but I'm surprised it took you so long!" May said to Wally, wearing a confident smile on her face.

"After seeing what you did to Kyogre in the final round of that tournament, I knew I'd need more training before I could face you, May!" Wally replied, looking just as confident. "May, it's because you helped me catch my first pokemon that I'm even here to challenge you today, but I won't hold back! My pokemon and I will become Hoenn's newest champions!"

"Oh yeah?" May smirked. "Let's see just how much better you've gotten since that tournament, then!" May took a purple pokeball in her hand, which would indicate to anyone who knew her what pokemon she was about to use. "Salamence, you're up first! Go!" She called out, releasing Salamence. The dragon pokemon materialized on the field, stretching its wings and letting out a mighty roar. It had been a while since May's Salamence had a chance to do any fighting.

"Hariyama, I choose you!" Wally held out a pokeball and released an incredibly bulky fighting-type pokemon onto the field. Wally's Hariyama cringed slightly when it saw May's Salamence, intimidated by its presence.

_"May's Salamence is going to be a tough opponent, but it's strongest attack against Hariyama will be Dragon Claw."_ Wally thought with a slight smirk. _"It might be close, but Hariyama should be able to take that after using Belly Drum. If we can deliver some heavy damage with Hariyama's Bullet Punch early then we should be able to win easily!"_

"Hariyama, use Belly Drum and get ready to attack!" Wally called out to his pokemon. Hariyama grunted and started pounding on it's chest. The pounding inflicted damage on itself, but greatly increased it's attack power.

_"I had a feeling he might try that, but he must be pretty confident to Belly Drum from the start."_ May thought. _"I bet he won't expect this, though!"_

"Starting with Belly Drum was a bad idea, Wally! Salamence, use Zen Headbutt!" Salamence roared and flapped her wings, quickly taking off and flying toward Hariyama. Her forehead began to glow as she closed the distance between them, concentrating to focus her willpower into the headbutt attack.

"Zen Headbutt?!" Wally gasped in shock. _"Most people don't even know that technique exists, how did May find out about it?"_ Wally quickly shook his head, focusing his attention back on the battle at hand. "Hariyama, quick! Bullet Punch!"

Hariyama brought its fist back, preparing to attack, but May's Salamence had too far a lead on it. Before Hariyama could throw the punch, Salamence's forehead connected with its own and a burst of energy shot through Hariyama's body from the point of impact. Hariyama was knocked out cold, collapsing to the ground as Salamence jumped back and landed several feet away.

"Argh! Thought we'd be able to pull that off!" Wally grumbled, taking Hariyama's pokeball in his hand. "Sorry buddy, I wasn't expecting a technique like that." Wally then pressed the button on the pokeball, recalling Hariyama, and placed it back on the belt around his waist.

_"Bullet Punch? What was he going to do with that attack?"_ May wondered. _"I'll have to check the pokenav later and see what it does."_

_"Her Salamence caught me off guard, but lets see how she deals with this!"_ Wally took another pokeball from himself and held it out, releasing his next pokemon. "Altaria! You're next! Go!" Altaria, a blue, bird-like pokemon with clouds for wings appeared on the field. In spite of its appearance, Altaria was actually a dragon-type.

"He doesn't actually expect to beat Salamence with another dragon-type pokemon, does he?" May wondered, blinking in disbelief. Shaking off her initial confusion, she narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. "He must be up to something, just like he was with Hariyama. I'll just have to take his pokemon out first!"

"Salamence, Dragon Pulse!" Salamence opened her mouth and a blue orb began to form as she prepared for her attack.

"Altaria, use Draco Meteor!" Altaria screeched and spread out its wings. Raising its head to the sky, a blue glow surrounded its body. A blast of energy from the orb Salamence had formed then struck Altaria, with the glow around Altaria's body fading almost immediately after. Altaria cried out in pain and fell flat onto the ground, taking a pretty strong blow from only a few feet away.

"Looks like your attack was negated, Wally!" May said, grinning with the belief that she had thwarted his plan. "I don't know what that attack you were going to use was, but it sounded pretty powerful. Too bad you won't be using it now."

"Sorry, but, you're wrong about that, May." Wally replied, pointing toward the open roof of the gym. May blinked and looked up. High above the battlefield, three blue orbs were rapidly circling in the air around Altaria.

"What...what the?!" May cried out in disbelief. A very audible gasp sounded from the crowd that was watching the match, just noticing the sight themselves.

"Altaria, now! Fire!" Wally called out. Altaria raised one of its wings, pointing the tip at Salamence. The three circling orbs then began to plummet toward the ground, all three heading toward Salamence.

_"Oh...oh this is going to hurt a bit..."_ Salamence thought when she saw the attack coming, the orbs streaking through the air like comets. Salamence braced herself against the attack. The three comets struck her simultaneously, releasing a tremendous amount of energy and sending up a large cloud of dust that almost reached Altaria. When the dust settled, Salamence was lying unconscious in the middle of a small crater.

* * *

"That's strange, the pokenav doesn't have any information on that attack Wally just used." Melany noted, scrolling through the new attacks the version 3 pokenav had registered. "It must be an incredibly rare attack..."

"Yeah! And it just wiped out SALAMENCE in one blow!" Rina said incredulously. "That technique must be really, REALLY powerful!"

"Is Salamence supposed to be a strong pokemon? I've never actually seen one in battle before." Ashley asked them.

"It's as strong as a Dragonite!" Rina replied.

"Pretty powerful then." Ashley said, nodding. "That attack must be really powerful then. I hope May can handle it..."

"Although I can't confirm it, an attack that powerful must have some kind of drawback." Melany noted, putting away her pokenav. "If it does, Wally will be hesitant to use it a second time."

* * *

"Ok, Wally caught me off guard with that one, but that makes us one for one now." May thought, taking a pokeball from her belt. "His Altaria is still up, but I have a pokemon that will make sure it won't escape!"

"Wobbuffet, I choose you!" May called out, releasing Wobbuffet from it's pokeball. Wobbuffet materialized and saluted with his right hand while emitting a cry that sounded like his species' name.

_"Wobbuffet, huh? Makes no difference to us!"_ Wally thought with a smirk. His weakened Altaria quickly got up on its feet, ready to continue the fight. _"Wobbuffet's ability prevents me from recalling my pokemon, but it also can't attack unless I hit it first. So instead of attacking..."_

"Altaria, put Wobbuffet to sleep with Sing!" Altaria opened its mouth and began to sing a lullaby. A soft, melodic tune filled the arena. Wobbuffet appeared to be unaffected at first, still standing in a saluting pose. He slowly began to lean forward and was soon snoring away, fast asleep.

_"I thought for sure he would try that attack again!"_ May thought in dismay. _"I'll have to wait until Wobbuffet wakes up now, then I can hit him with Encore. If nothing else, it'd allow me to switch to another pokemon while his can't do anything."_

"Now use Dragon Dance, then get ready with Sky Attack!" Wally called out. Altaria threw out its wings and let out a high pitched shriek. A mystical energy began to well up within it, increasing Altaria's speed and attack power. After using Dragon Dance to increase its power, Altaria began gathering energy for Sky Attack.

_"That Sky Attack is going to hurt, but Wobbuffet should be able to take at least one hit from it."_ May thought. Looking at her sleeping pokemon, she noticed it seemed to already be stirring from its slumber. May smirked. _"Looks like we'll be taking Altaria out right now!"_

"Altaria! Go, now! Sky Attack!" Wally called out, pointing toward Wobbuffet. Altaria let out another bird-like shriek and flapped its wings, quickly taking off toward Wobbuffet. A fiery red aura surrounded Altaria's body, drawing out the energy it had gathered for the attack.

"Wobbuffet! Now!" May's Wobbuffet suddenly sprang up, mere seconds before Altaria would hit it.

"It's awake?! But we almost had it!" Wally exclaimed in disbelief. It was too late for him to change his tactics, though.

Altaria slammed into Wobbuffet, and Wobbuffet stood his ground against the attack. Wobbuffet was hurt badly by the force of the impact, but his rubber-like body bent back as Altaria pushed against him. He then sprang back against it, his face smashing Altaria and sending it flying back across the field. Altaria eventually hit the ground and rolled to a stop, lying unconscious and covered in dirt only a few feet away from Wally.

"Altaria...you gave it your best." Wally said quietly, taking out Altaria's pokeball and recalling it.

May's Wobbuffet, having endured a boosted Sky Attack from Altaria, was left wobbling about and looking like it could fall over any second. _"That attack did more damage than I thought it would, I didn't think Altaria could get that strong. The best Wobbuffet could do now is Destiny Bond, I'll try that on a slower pokemon if he has one."_

"Gardevoir! Let's finish this one off now!" Wally held out a pokeball and released Gardevoir, the final evolved form of the Ralts that May helped him catch several months earlier. A green and white psychic pokemon, looking almost like a female dancer, materialized on the field with his hands clasped in front of him.

"Wobbuffet, that's enough for now, return!" May held out Wobbuffet's pokeball and pressed the button. The pokeball opened and a red beam fired out toward Wobbuffet, but nothing happened when the beam hit her pokemon. "Hey! What gives?!"

"I'm surprised you didn't already realize this, but you can't recall your Wobbuffet, May." Wally said, regarding May curiously as he explained it to her. "It's one of Gardevoir's special abilities, trace. It copies the opponent's ability. In this case, that's shadow tag."

May was stunned by this revealation. _"No! I forgot all about that!"_ May thought. _"But...how could I?! I even have a Gardevoir! I should know it's abilities! How could that have slipped by me?!"_

"So like I said, we're finishing this one here and now!" Wally said to May. "Gardevoir, blast it with Thunderbolt!" Gardevoir crossed his arms in front of himself, sparks visible along his arms as he channeled electricity through his body. Gardevoir then held both hands together and pointed them at Wobbuffet, firing a bolt of electricity at him. Wobbuffet cried out in pain as the electricity passed through its body and was quickly knocked out. Wobbuffet's head bowed forward, but it remained standing in spite of being unconscious.

_"Against his Gardevoir there wouldn't even have been enough time to use Destiny Bond. Wobbuffet was trapped and couldn't do a thing."_ May thought, recalling Wobbuffet. She paused for a moment, considering what pokemon would be her best choice to send out next.

_"I think...this one."_ May took a pokeball from her belt. "Ludicolo, go!" May held out the pokeball and released Ludicolo. Even as the pokemon was just starting to materialize on the field it was already dancing about, hopping from side to side.

_"Gardevoir can't take that one on easily, May's Ludicolo has too many options for recovery compared to Gardevoir."_ Wally thought, taking his Gardevoir's pokeball in hand. "Ok, Gardevoir, you can rest for now! I'll need you later!" Gardevoir nodded in acknowledgement as his trainer recalled him. Gardevoir was returned to its pokeball, which Wally placed back on his belt and then quickly took another one in his hand.

"I bet you've never seen this pokemon before!" Wally called out to May as he held out the pokeball and pressed the button. "Roserade, go!" The pokeball opened, releasing a red beam toward the field that began to form into a pokemon instantly. A rose-like pokemon with a white flower for hair, standing at roughly three feet tall, appeared on the field. Humanoid in appearance, with a leaf extending behind it like a cape and red and blue bouquets for it's right and left hands.

* * *

"That's strange, my pokedex doesn't say anything about Roserade. I had it updated ages ago too." Ashley said, trying to scan the pokemon.

"Maybe you're just too far away?" Rina suggested, shrugging slightly.

"No, that isn't it." Melany said, shaking her head. "Roselia doesn't have any known evolutions, not in Hoenn anyway. That evolution must have been discovered in another region."

"Kinda like how Espeon and Umbreon were discovered by Professor Elm in Johto?" Ashley said.

Melany shrugged. "Sure. Let's go with that."

_"So even in this day and age, new pokemon are being discovered."_ Aisha said to Ashley. _"Interesting."_

* * *

"Roser...ade?" May repeated to herself, blinking in confusion. She had to resist the urge to go for her pokedex, remembering that she couldn't use it in this match.

"This pokemon is the evolved form of my Roselia. It evolved from a special stone I found while I was training." Wally said to May. "Roserade is a lot stronger than it was as a Roselia. Can your Ludicolo handle it?"

May examined Wally's Roserade from a distance, considering her opponent, then looked at her dancing Ludicolo. _"That's a good question, but it's not like Ludicolo is at any major disadvantage against a grass-type pokemon."_ May thought, then nodded to herself. "Let's find out then! Ludicolo, use Rain Dance!"

"In that case, hit it hard with a Sludge Bomb, Roserade!"

May's Ludicolo began dancing more feverishly and spinning around, causing stormclouds to start to gather over the battlefield. Roserade put it's two bouquet-hands together and aimed high, firing a combined blob of sludge into the air. The ball of sludge came down toward Ludicolo just as its dance brought it into the projectile's path. It slammed into Ludicolo's face and exploded, covering Ludicolo entirely with sludge and bringing it to the ground. It was a heavy hit, leaving Ludicolo in a daze until the rain started to fall. Shortly after the first drops hit Ludicolo it was able to ignore the pain and jump right back on its feet and continued dancing.

_"His pokemon all seem to hit pretty hard, maybe he's better than I thought?"_ May thought, noticing how much damage Roserade's Sludge Bomb did to Ludicolo. With the rain in effect, though, Ludicolo was slowly regenerating health and could move much faster. _"Ok, even though Roserade is a grass-type pokemon, I think Hydro Pump is my best choice to attack with because of the rain boost."_

"Roserade, use Giga Drain now!" Wally called out, beating May to the punch. Roserade pointed its hands at Ludicolo, drawing out a large amount of energy from it in one quick burst. The attack did little to heal Roserade, having taken no damage yet, but Ludicolo nearly fell over at it was hit. If not for the rain restoring his health, Ludicolo would have been knocked out by it.

_"That was close..."_ May thought, wincing. "Ludicolo, retalliate with Hydro Pump!" Ludicolo opened its large, duck-like beak and sprayed a high pressure blast of water at Roserade. Roserade braced itself for the impact, the water crossing the field in the blink of an eye and smashing it with a strong blast. Roserade struggled to stand its ground against the attack, in spite of the distance and type advantage.

"Keep at it, Roserade! We won't lose to a water attack like that!" Wally said, cheering his pokemon on.

"Ok! Now use Fury Swipes!" May called out.

Ludicolo closed his beak, stopping the Hydro Pump attack, then started to move across the field. Ludicolo moved incredibly fast, the rain falling on him giving him boundless energy. He hopped from side to side as if dancing while Roserade was shaking off his previous attack, closing the gap just as Roserade was shaking the water off. Roserade looked up and gasped when it saw Ludicolo standing over it. Ludicolo raised both hands above Roserade and unleashed a flurry of attacks, scratching Roserade repeatedly with his small claws. Roserade cried out in pain, holding its hands in front of itself to try to block the attacks from hitting its face.

"Roserade, wait for an opening and then use Poison Jab." Wally quietly instructed his pokemon.

Roserade opened one eye, watching Ludicolo's continued assault until eventually both Ludicolo's hands were raised above it again in preparation for another strike. Roserade seized the moment, dropping it's guard and jabbing Ludicolo in the stomach with the red bouquet. A poison stinger hidden in the bouquet stabbed Ludicolo, inflicting enough damage to finish him off. Ludicolo's arms dropped to his side and he suddenly fell onto his back. At the same time, the downpour stopped and the rainclouds began to part.

"No...I thought I had that one!" May exclaimed in disbelief, taking Ludicolo's pokeball in her hand to recall it. "That last attack...Poison Sting? Either way, his Roserade took advantage of it's poison-type more than I thought it would..." May recalled Ludicolo and placed his pokeball back on her belt.

"So what do you think of my Roselia's evolved form? Pretty cool, huh?" Wally asked May, grinning.

"I think you'll be telling me how you evolved it once this match is over!" May replied with a slight smirk. She then took another pokeball from her belt, holding it out in front of her. "But first thing's first, it's going down now! Manetric!" The pokeball in May's hand opened up, releasing Manetric onto the field. Manetric growled and bared his fangs at Roserade.

"Huh? She's using an electric-type against a grass-type?" Wally said, confused by the choice.

"Manetric, use Thunderbolt!" Manetric let out a growl as electricity charged along his fur. A large bolt of electricity then shot from his body, soaring across the field and striking Roserade. The grass pokemon cried out in pain as electricity coursed through its body, then collapsed. Small wisps of smoke rose from its body.

"No way! I would have thought Roserade could endure at least one electric attack, even after the fight with Ludicolo..." Wally said in disbelief. He sighed and took out Roserade's pokeball, recalling his pokemon. "Maybe it was because Roserade was wet from the rain?" He wondered as he switched Roserade's pokeball for another one.

"It's been one for one so far this entire match, I need to gain some ground somehow." May thought, then looked at her pokemon. "Manetric! I'm counting on you!"

Manetric growled, nodding in agreement. "-I've been training for this day. No matter the foe, I will not fail you!-"

"Ok! Let's go electric-type against electric-type! Magneton, I choose you!" Wally held out his Magneton's pokeball, releasing his pokemon. A trio of Magnemites, fused together, materialized floating over the field.

"Bold move, but let's see how you handle this! Manetric, Thunder Wave!" Manetric's fur bristled with electricity, which it then shot as a quick pulse of static across the field. The static electricity hit Magneton and immediately it dropped to the ground with sparks dancing around its body.

"Two can play at that game!" Wally shot back. "Magneton, use Supersonic!"

"Manetric, Howl!"

Manetric's Thunder Wave attack left many of Magneton's circuits scrambled, leaving it stranded on the ground. Unable to move, it still managed to send a high pitched blast of sound in Manetric's direction. Manetric failed to even hear the attack, though, over his own howling, and remained unaffected as a result. Manetric's howling got his adrenaline pumping, increasing his physical attack power.

_"We really seem to be at a disadvantage against this pokemon."_ Wally thought grimly. _"Maybe I should recall Magneton..."_

"Ok! Now use Fire Fang!" Manetric charged across the field with his fangs bared and flames gathering around them. He lowered his head to the ground as he approached Magneton, opening his mouth and then clamping it down on the nearest Magnemite. The three of them let out a metallic groan and sparks shot out from where Manetric bit it. After delivering the attack, Manetric let go and backed away.

"Ok, definitely switching!" Wally thought, sweat starting to run down his face. Once again, Manetric had surprised Wally by dealing more damage than he thought such a pokemon would be capable of. "Magneton, that's enough for now! Return!" Wally called out, taking out Magneton's pokeball and recalling it. He placed Magneton's pokeball back on his belt and pondered his next choice.

_"I need to disable that Manetric somehow."_ Wally thought. _"It's like it's stronger than any of May's other pokemon, just what has she been feeding it!?"_

"Changing pokemon? Then we'll get ready for the next one!" May said to Wally. "Manetric, use Charge!" Manetric's body became stiff and sparks danced around his fur as he started gathering electricity, preparing for his next attack.

_"Great, now she's getting ready to attack while I'm still deciding!"_ Wally desparately grabbed a pokeball from his belt. _"Delcatty should still be able to endure one attack, anyway, and has plenty of disabling techniques and can restore Magneton with Heal Bell.."_

"Delcatty, go!" Wally called out, releasing his pokemon. A pink and white feline pokemon materialized on the field, stretching its legs. "Delcatty, use Sing!"

"Manetric, Thunderbolt now!" Delcatty began to sing a lullaby while May's Manetric released the electricity it gathered, firing a large lightning bolt from its body. The bolt of electricity streaked across the battlefield and struck Delcatty while it was still singing. The singing stopped almost immediately as Delcatty cried out in pain. The pokemon fell silent when the electricity finally passed through it and collapsed on its side. Manetric felt a bit drowsy from what little singing he had heard but quickly shook it off.

"Urk! It took out Delcatty in one hit?!" Wally exclaimed in disbelief.

"Actually...I'm surprised by that too." May thought, blinking. _"I was just planning to finish it off with Quick Attack when Manetric woke up, I didn't think Thunderbolt would be enough to knock it out."_

"Looks like I have no choice then." Wally thought, grabbing a pokeball from his belt. "Gardevoir, your turn again! Go!" He called out, releasing Gardevoir back onto the field.

"Manetric, let's keep this momentum going! Use Crunch!"

"Gardevoir, Teleport!"

Manetric lunged toward Gardevoir, baring his fangs, but Gardevoir shimmered and vanished. Manetric ended up hitting the ground face-first instead. Manetric quickly stood up, shaking dirt off his face, and looked around. Gardevoir soon re-materialized behind it and several feet away.

_"Forgot about that move."_ May thought. "Ok, Manetric, try Discharge!"

Manetric quickly gathered electricity in his fur and discharged it in all directions. This time, Gardevoir had nowhere to Teleport to to avoid the attack. Gardevoir grunted as the electricity passed through him and nearly fell to the ground as his muscles became paralyzed by the static electricity in the discharge. Suddenly, though, Manetric yelped and nearly collapsed as well. Gardevoir's synchronize ability caused him to also become paralyzed.

_"I forgot about that ability too. Though I guess it makes no difference, not like I tried that."_ May thought. _"But unless I get lucky, Manetric still won't land a Crunch attack on her."_

"Gardevoir, this is our chance! Hypnosis!" Wally called out to his pokemon. Gardevoir nodded and turned to face Manetric, whom he had his back to after he teleported away. Gardevoir focused his gaze directly on Manetric's eyes, sending out hypnotic psychic waves at him. Gardevoir's eyes seemed to swirl as the hypnosis took affect on Manetric and he soon fell asleep.

"Ok! Now start using Calm Mind!" Gardevoir closed his eyes and focused, clearing his mind to increase his mental capabilities.

_"Manetric is fast asleep, should I switch pokemon or would I just be sending out another pokemon to take a boosted Psychic attack instead?"_ May wondered. _"It might be better if I let Manetric finish this fight. If Gardevoir wins, my next pokemon can still finish it and that would just leave his crippled Magneton."_

_"I'm in a rough spot here. Once May's Manetric is down, her next pokemon is going to pretty much have a free shot at Gardevoir and my Magneton won't be able to hold up either. Especially if she has her Blaziken with her, which I bet she does." _Wally frowned. _"I won't have much choice then. After beating Manetric, I'll have to use Healing Wish." _

Noticing Manetric starting to wake up, Wally gasped. "Gardevoir! Psychic, now!" Wally commanded. Gardevoir's eyes snapped open and flashed blue. A blue aura surrounded Manetric and hoisted him into the air. Manetric yelped in surprise, now fully awake. Gardevoir then proceeded to repeatedly smash Manetric against the ground until he was knocked out.

_"That looked painful."_ May said, wincing. She took out Manetric's pokeball and recalled him, then got another pokeball ready to send out her next pokemon. _"Manetric wasn't even able to get another hit in, but Donphan should be able to take Gardevoir out with Earthquake now."_

Gardevoir, meanwhile, could sense Wally's pain. Looking at his trainer curiously, Gardevoir soon understood what his trainer was going to ask him to do. There was only one technique Gardevoir knew that would cause Wally grief. He immediately kneeled down and put his hands together, as if praying.

_"Gardevoir...I'm sorry about this."_ Wally thought sadly.

_"Huh? What's his Gardevoir doing?"_ May wondered, then quickly shook her head. "Nevermind! Donphan, go!" The pokeball in May's hand opened up, releasing Donphan from his pokeball. Donphan grunted and dragged his front-right foot against the ground. Before May could even call out an attack, though, Wally's Gardevoir suddenly collapsed.

"What the!? What happened!?" May exclaimed in shock. A radiant white orb of energy formed over Gardevoir as Wally recalled his pokemon.

"Healing Wish. It's a technique that causes the user to faint." Wally explained to May. Taking another pokeball in his hand, he released his crippled Magneton back out onto the field. "In return, the next pokemon I send out is fully healed." The white orb floated down to Magneton, entering the pokemon's body. It's paralysis was healed, as was the damage caused by Manetric's Fire Fang. Magneton floated into the air, ready to fight.

"Well that was a waste. Donphan can definitely take out Magneton in one shot." May said to Wally. "Donphan, use Earthquake!" Donphan sounded off from its trunk and raised up on his hind legs, then slammed his feet into the ground. The ground began to shake and crack, intensifying as the shockwave moved toward Magneton.

"Magneton, float move higher!" Magneton's magnets sparked briefly and a whirring noise could be heard as Magneton floated higher into the air. The ground below Magneton shook and cracked violently, but Magneton was completely unaffected.

"I...I really should have seen that coming." May said to herself, slapping the palm of her hand against her forehead. "Nevermind then...use Fire Fang instead!" Donphan charged across the field, fire engulfing his two large tusks. He then jumped up, stabbing at two of the Magnemites forming Magneton with his flaming tusks and tackling it to the ground.

"Another one that knows Fire Fang?!" Wally said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Magneton, confuse it with Supersonic!" Magneton let out a terrible, high-pitched screech. Donphan suddenly felt woozy from the noise and backed away from Magneton, shaking his head. Magneton quickly floated back up off the ground once it was free.

"Good! Now weaken it with Metal Sound!" Magneton emitted another sound from its body, this time a screeching sound like metal on metal. The sound was grating to Donphan's ears and he tried to drop to the ground to cover them, but in his confusion he managed to jab his tusks into the ground instead.

"This...this isn't looking good." May thought, wincing.

"Now finish this! Flash Cannon!" Magneton pointed all three of its magnets at Donphan and began gathering light in the middle of the three. It then fired the ball of light at Donphan like a cannon. With Donphan's tusks still burried, he couldn't move. The ball of light struck him in the face and exploded, sending a bright flash of light throughout the arena. Donphan was knocked unconscious in just one hit, rolling onto his side while tearing his tusks out of the ground.

_"I thought for sure that matchup would be in my favor!"_ May thought, recalling Donphan. _"Well, only one pokemon left now..."_ May quickly switched Donphan's pokeball for the only one on her belt that contained a battle-ready pokemon. "Blaziken, your turn now! Go!" May called out, releasing Blaziken from his pokeball. Blaziken crowed loudly as he materialized, flexing his arms while flames surrounded his wrists.

"Last pokemon, and I'm at one heck of a disadvantage!" Wally said to himself, wincing. "Better make this count. Magneton, use Thunder Wave!"

"Blaziken, jump and use Blaze Kick!" Blaziken jumped straight up into the air, evading a pulse of electricity fired at him by Magneton. Flames engulfed Blaziken's right leg as he reached the apex of his jump. He extended that leg forward as he came down toward Magneton, drop kicking it from high in the air with Blaze Kick. The intense flames licked at Magneton's metallic body and the powerful kick knocked it into the ground and sent it bouncing back across the field until it stopped near Wally. Magneton remained completely still after, knocked out by Blaziken's Blaze Kick.

"Phew...managed to pull through in the end." May said quietly. Running her hand against her forehead she realized it was wet with sweat. "I didn't even notice I was sweating..." She mumbled to herself.

"So even after all that training we couldn't pull it off." Wally said to himself, sighing. He held out Magneton's pokeball and recalled it. He couldn't help but smile as he looked across the field at May. "Well congratulations, May, looks like you're still the champion. I've got a lot more training to do I guess..."

"Well don't feel too bad, we were actually pretty even until Manetric took out a few of your pokemon." May said to him. "I think all your training has paid off!"

"-That's it then?-" Blaziken said to himself, folding his arms in front of him. "-Not even one battle, just one attack and it's over. I'm actually a bit disappointed. I was at least hoping for a bit of a challenge.-"

Suddenly, the arena's speakers came to life and Wallace's voice sounded throughout the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed the show! It was a tough match, but May Maple, the prodigy from Johto, remains Hoenn's Regional Champion!" The audience, made up of fans, gym leaders, and May's friends, erupted into cheering and applause.

"For those interested, May will be outside later to sign autographs!" Wallace continued.

"Wh-what?!" May shrieked.

"I hope you all show May a great deal of gratitude for coming forward with this idea! See you all there!" The speakers then cut out, ending the message.

"WALLACE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" May yelled, then stormed off out of the arena. The cheering from the crowd suddenly changed to laughter as most of them could hear her.

"Boy, must be tough being champion." Wally noted to himself, blinking. "Maybe being in second place isn't so bad..."

* * *

"Wallace! I didn't agree to signing any autographs!" May angrily yelled at the Elite Four Champion once she had caught up with the group. They were in a waiting room just down the corridor from the arena. A large tv was set up opposite the door, where they would watch the matches in the arena, and six seats with red cushions were set up along each wall. It was where the Elite Four, as well as the champion, would be located prior to a match. There was even a restoration machine next to the tv, which they would use to heal their pokemon. Aside from Wallace, two of the Elite Four were seated on each side of the room. Wallace stood in the middle, facing May.

"Really?" Wallace feigned a confused expression. "But...I could have sworn you said so yourself before the match!" He looked around the room to the rest of the Elite Four. Sidney and Phoebe were on his right, Glacia and Drake on his left. "You all heard it, did you not?"

"Oh yeah, she definitely said she'd sign autographs when it was over." Sidney said, grinning and nodding in agreement.

"You'll want to hurry up and get started or else you'll be here all day!" Phoebe added. Drake and Glacia remained silent, looking unamused by Wallace's antics.

"You two both suck!" May yelled and clenched her fists in frustration.

"Oh? Well that's too bad. We were going to invite you to hang out with us, too." Phoebe said to her.

"Huh?" May blinked. "Hang out with you?"

"That's right!" Sidney replied, grinning. "As the Elite Four, we get invited to parties, conventions, and all sorts of fun things a lot. Since you're the champ, you should join us sometime! It'll be fun, and there's plenty of free food!"

"Hehe...well...I like the sound of free food...especially if there's pasta..." May replied, sheepishly twiddling her fingers.

"Hmph. Going to your rowdy parties would be a waste of her time." Glacia said, folding her arms. "A young lady like May needs guidance so she will grow to be an elegant, mature woman." Glacia examined May for a moment. "I am sure I could find a dress in your size. Then you could join me for more...refined gatherings." May seemed hesitant for a moment, causing Glacia to sigh. "There will be free food, of course."

"Well..."

"You're both wrong!" Drake said gruffly. "May has already managed to capture Flygon, Altaria, and Salamence. She is well on her way to being a dragon master, and with my guidance..."

"No, no, no! What the young lady needs is simply a more stylish outfit if you ask me." Wallace said, cutting Drake off. He smirked to himself as he looked back at May, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "At the very least, she could use a cape. However, what she does is her decision to make."

"Wait! Where is all this coming from all of a sudden?!" May yelled, flailing her arms wildly.

"Well, the short answer is, we all think it would be best if you were at least a little more involved with the Elite Four." Wallace said to her. He stretched his arms out, gesturing toward the room itself. "All this could be your's someday if you maintain your title, afterall."

"She won't be keeping her title much longer if she keeps battling like she did today." A voice said from behind May. She turned around and saw Melany standing behind her along with Rina and Ashley.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" May growled.

"You seem like you've gotten a bit rusty is what I mean." Melany said to her. "Did you notice that only one of your pokemon was able to do more than go one on one with Wally's?"

"You mean Manetric?"

"He's been doing a lot of training on his own." Rina said to her. "I've seen him challenging the legendary pokemon everyday, he can even hold his own going one on one with Raikou!"

"Ah, sounds like someone has been neglecting her training entirely." Phoebe said to May in an accusing tone. "You're quite lucky you at least had one pokemon able to stand up to him today, you know."

"Well what about you five?!" May shot back, quickly turning around. "You lost to him first!"

"If I can say something about that...I think it's pretty bad when the Elite Four is caught off guard by new pokemon or techniques." Melany said to them, sounding almost condescending. "You're the Elite Four! You should be making sure you're on top of these things!" Phoebe and Sidney winced, realizing she was right, and Wallace rubbed the back of his neck in embarassment.

"We all intend to put more effort into our training, we don't need you to tell us that." Drake said grumpily.

"Hey now, we didn't come here to berate some of the strongest trainers in Hoenn." Ashley said to Melany. "Anyway, May, we just wanted to congratulate you on keeping your title." Ashley smiled at her. "I'd feel bad if I was the only champion in the group, afterall."

"Thanks, everyone." May sighed. "And I'll make sure I keep up with my training. I didn't really think I had to worry about that anymore..."

"Hey, Melany and I could help you with that if you want!" Rina said to her. "We've been helping Ashley train the pokemon she's kept in storage. Just let us know what you want them doing and we'll make the arrangements!"

"Huh? You two?" May blinked in disbelief and looked between Melany and Rina. "Since when were you two working together?"

"Since a bit over five months now." Melany replied. "Anyway, if you don't want to do that, you can just train with the Elite Four."

"That just might be a good place to start." Wallace said thoughtfully. Thinking for a moment, he then added, "And I suppose I could provide food. I don't like to brag, but I'm quite the cook."

"It's like you're using that as a bribe." May said, then sighed. "And I'm totally taking the bait, too. I'll consider your offers I guess..."

"By the way, May, didn't you have autographs to sign?" Ashley said to her, a mischevious glint in her eyes. "And I wouldn't mind getting a few pictures of you with your Blaziken."

"I guess I don't have a choice now." May said, shooting a glare at Wallace.

"Of course. Need to keep your fans happy, afterall." Wallace replied with an innocent smile, ignoring May's glare. May quickly left the room with the other girls following behind her.

"Well I suppose we'll be seeing more of her now, at least." Glacia said, smiling slightly. "I wonder what happened to our challenger, though?"

"He left the arena with another guy, didn't he?" Sidney said.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Evergrande City pokemon center...

"Come on, Wally! Tell me what region it was already!" Brendan pleaded.

"Sorry, Brendan, but I can't make it that easy for you!" Wally replied, grinning. The two of them were standing at the reception desk, waiting for Wally's pokemon to be healed. Brendan had met up with Wally as he was leaving, begging to know his secret.

"Come on! It's not like you can hide an entire region from me!"

"You'll just have to figure it out on your own." Wally said as he took his pokeballs back from the nurse. "I know you're collecting badges too now because you want to challenge May, and that makes you my rival! So I'm not going to make it easier for you to catch up with me!"

"Man..." Brendan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess I should have known better." He looked at Wally curiously. "So what will you do now?"

Wally shrugged. "I'm thinking about going to Kanto or Johto for training next. Anyway, I have to go meet up with Suzy or I'll never hear the end of it! Good luck with your badges!" Wally quickly attached his six pokeballs to his belt and left the pokecenter, waving to Brendan as he stepped outside.

"Yeah..." Brendan sighed. "Still four badges to go...I'll need all the luck I can get at this rate..."

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry about the late update. Long chapter + hectic week last week = not a good combination. Anyway, as mentioned, this will be the last chapter taking place less than a year after the Sanctuary was formed. Bit of a hint as to what May will be up to from this point on, in regards to the Elite Four anyway, though all that food might be bad for her health. And no points for guessing where Wally went to train.

Next week will be skipping ahead a bit again, obviously, and will continue the shift toward the 2nd/4th gen sagas.


	13. Chapter 13: A New League

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company. You know, standard disclaimer stuff. Now that that's out of the way...**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**New League  
**

Date: 1 year, 1 month, 5 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Inside the server room at the Indigo Plateau Pokemon League, a pair of technicians were busily typing away at a pair of computers. One of the two computers was completely brand new, while the other was hurriedly being updated.

"Man, seems like a lot's happened to the Elite Four these past few months." The technician updating an older computer said to his partner. "Agatha retired, Lorelei resigned because she was worried about the Sevii Islands, Koga was moved up to the Elite Four to replace Agatha, his daughter Janine took over his gym, and that Karen chick won the tournament to become the next Elite Four member and replace Lorelei."

"She was just lucky her opponent was a psychic-type user, he was a tougher opponent if you ask me." The other technician muttered. "This new league though, they're all tough customers. You can tell just by looking at them that they mean business."

"I can't believe Johto is actually getting its own Elite Four, seems like a waste if you ask me." The first technician said with a shrug. Leaning back, he let out a yawn and got up from his computer. "Well, I'm finished for now until Lance and Gary are finished. How's it going on your end?"

The other technician turned his head, scowling at his partner. "I'm still installing the god damned drivers."

"I...see." The man shrugged and placed his hands behind his head. "Well, have fun with that. I'm going to see if I can catch the end of this battle."

The first technician then turned and exited the dimly lit room, leaving his partner working on his own.

"Tch. Do what you want." The man grumbled under his breath, watching a progress bar fill up on his screen at an agonizing pace. "Damn it! Would it kill them to splurge on a half-decent computer for once?!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the league's arena, Gary and Lance were battling and both had just recalled a pokemon.

"A double knockout. Seems we're down to our last pokemon each." Lance said to Gary, a slight smirk crossing his lips.

"Tch. You've been training without me noticing." Gary replied, taking another pokeball from his belt. It was the only one remaining with a healthy pokemon inside. "I don't recall you giving me this much trouble last time, but I don't intend to back down yet. I've still got my trump card."

"That makes two of us." Lance said, taking a pokeball from his belt as well.

The audience gathered to watch this match between the Elite Four's dragon master, Lance, and the Champion, Gary, was fairly small as the event was barred to the public. Sixteen gym leaders, eight from Kanto and Johto, were gathered to watch the match, as were the rest of the Elite Four. Johto's new Elite Four were also there, as were Ashley, Rina, Melany, and May. Rina had managed to convince the two Hoenn girls to come along.

"I'm surprised, Lance is really putting the pressure on Gary today." Ashley smiled to herself. "If Lance wins, he might become the Champion and Gary would be one of the Elite Four. That'd be quite the turn of events if you ask me."

"I wonder what that would mean for your position, though?" Rina asked, glancing over at Ashley.

"I don't think it means anything really." Ashley replied with a slight shrug. "Not unless Lance wants to try for my title for some reason, but I'm not sure the rules even allow that."

"But can you really say you're the strongest trainer in Kanto if you beat the old Elite Four, not the new one?"

"Hmm...good point." Ashley thought for a moment and shrugged. "I'll have to ask Lance later I guess. I haven't had much of a chance to talk with any of the Elite Four ever since I started taking pictures in Hoenn. I keep getting requests for such absurdly rare pokemon." Ashley glared past Rina, looking at the girl sitting next to her, "YOU wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"Now why would I do a thing like that?" Melany replied, trying to play innocent.

"Can we save the accusations until after the match? This is getting interesting!" May said. "They're about to start the final match!"

"Go! Dragonite!"

"Blastoise, I choose you!"

The two pokemon emerged onto the field, Dragonite materializing before Lance and Blastoise appearing before Gary. Both trainers had saved their best pokemon for last. In Gary's case, though, he was quite confident that he could best Dragonite with Blastoise.

_"Nice try, Lance, but one attack is all I'll need against this one."_ Gary thought with a slight smirk. "Blastoise, attack with Blizzard!" Blastoise took aim at Lance's Dragonite with its cannons and fired, sending a blast of intense cold air and driving snow at the dragon pokemon.

"We are prepared for such a technique!" Lance said to Gary. "Dragonite, Twister!" Lance's Dragonite began flapping it's wings rapidly, quickly forming a large tornado in front of it. The ice and snow fired by Blastoise reached the twister first and was drawn into it, preventing it from reaching Dragonite. When the twister stopped, all the snow was deposited on the floor.

"Tch...looks like you've learned a defense against Blizzard since that time." Gary said to Lance, clenching his teeth after. _"I bet Twister wouldn't work as well against an Ice Beam, but I decided to teach him Blizzard instead because it was stronger._

"I realized after your Blastoise defeated my Dragonite so easily last time that I needed a better counter to ice attacks than Ice Beam." Lance said to Gary. "The idea to use Twister defensively was something I picked up from my daughter." As he said this, he glanced toward the seating area from the corner of his eye. Ashley, Melany, and May all looked at Rina in disbelief.

Rina blushed and twiddled her fingers in embarassment. "It wasn't really that special..." She mumbled quietly.

_"If he can block Blizzard from a distance then we'll just have to get in close instead."_ Gary thought. "Blastoise, Aqua Jet!" Blastoise jumped into the air and withdrew into his shell, then turned as it fell toward the ground to point it's cannons downward. It then released a powerful spray of water, angling it to propel itself rapidly toward Lance's Dragonite.

"Dragonite, Extremespeed!" Dragonite crouched down, then flapped it's wings and took off. Dragonite moved with such speed that it left an afterimage behind itself. The two pokemon collided in midair and Dragonite's attack overpowered Gary's Blastoise, knocking it back and sending it spiralling out of control until it cut off it's water. Blastoise emerged from it's shell and landed on it's feet, facing Lance's Dragonite.

"Well that's a new move." Gary said in mild amusement.

"Not as new as you might think, Gary." Lance said to him. "You might not know this, but in actuality I have several Dragonites under my command even though I never use more than one at a time. The Dragonite you are used to fighting is trained to use special attacks, but this one," Lance gestured toward the Dragonite on the field. "Was trained from a hatchling with an entirely different set of strengths in mind."

"-I'm also known as 'The Dragonite of Power', but saying it all the time is a mouthful.-" Dragonite said to Gary's Blastoise, looking fairly proud of itself. "-I'm called either Dragonite or Power for short, whichever is more convenient. And I...-" Dragonite stopped suddenly when it realized Blastoise wasn't paying any attention to it at all. Dragonite let out a 'hmph' and crossed its arms. "-Well I like it.-"

"So I see. You've chosen to use a different Dragonite this time to throw me off. Clever." Gary said to Lance, looking amused rather than surprised. "But knowing that your other Dragonite uses special attacks, I think its safe to assume this one uses physical attacks." A determined look formed in Gary's eyes. "So we'll prepare our defenses accordingly! Blastoise, Iron Defense!"

"You may be able to increase your defense, but that will cost you!" Lance shot back. "Dragonite, Thunder Wave!"

Gary's Blastoise crossed its arms in front of it and focused, toughening its body. Blastoise's body shined briefly, becoming much more durable against physical attacks. Meanwhile, Lance's Dragonite fired a pulse of electricity from the antennae on its head. Several rings of static electricity fired out, striking Blastoise in the chest. The static affected Blastoise's muscles directly, causing them to become paralyzed.

_"Even if Blastoise is paralyzed, his defense won't falter."_ Gary thought. _"If his pokemon really is focused on physical attacks..."_

"Now, Dragon Dance!" Lance's Dragonite let out a vicious roar and stretched its arms. A reddish aura formed around it as it called out a mystical power from within, increasing its strength and speed.

_"And that settles it." _Gary thought, folding his arms in front of him. _"In order to attack, your Dragonite have to get in close as there are very few physical attacks your Dragonite can use at a range. With Iron Defense active, Blastoise will take whatever you throw at him. Then he'll get your Dragonite with Blizzard while it's still in melee range. Taking a Blizzard attack from that distance, your pokemon won't be surviving."_

"Dragonite, I believe you know what must happen now." Lance said to his pokemon. Dragonite nodded in agreement. "Gary! We practiced this technique just for this match! Dragonite, Thunder Punch!" Dragonite raised one fist, charging it with electricity, then flapped its wings and shot toward Blastoise. It crossed the field in less than a second to deliver a powerful punch to Blastoise's chest, sending a shock through its body at the same time. Blastoise groaned in pain but was able to endure the hit.

"That will be your last mistake, Lance! Blastoise, Blizzard!" Gary called out, confident that the match would be his. Lance's Dragonite dropped to the ground as Blastoise focused its cannons on Dragonite and fired, engulfing the dragon pokemon in snow and ice. Dragonite was barely visible, and thus no one noticed the soft, white glow from its wings, nor the swirl of feathers that accompanied it.

By the time Blastoise had let up, the grassy terrain stretching out in a semi-oval from Blastoise was completely frozen over. Dragonite was also largely covered in ice, only its head and upper torso remained free from ice. To Gary's surprise, though, Dragonite's eyes were still open. "I don't believe it! How is that thing still standing?!" Gary yelled in shock.

"A timely use of the Roost technique." Lance explained to Gary. "I realized what you were up to and made a feint by rushing in recklessly to attack. When you used Blizzard, Dragonite countered with Roost. Though it was barely injured as it was, the technique temporarily negated the weaknesses and resistances of Dragonite's flying-type, lowering its weakness to ice-type attacks."

"Not bad, but your pokemon is still encased in ice." Gary countered. "It's over, you can't win now."

"I'm afraid you underestimate my pokemon's power." Lance replied with a smirk. "Dragonite, Outrage!" Dragonite let out a primal roar, an orange glow forming in its eyes and in an aura around its body. Dragonite smashed out of the ice encasing it and went on a rampage, knocking Gary's Blastoise onto his back and attacking in a flurry of punches, scratches, and bites with no regard for its own safety. Blastoise's paralysis kept it from fighting back, leaving him completely at the enraged Dragonite's mercy.

_"Thunder Wave, Dragon Dance, and now Outrage! Was he setting up for this the whole time, an attack with such speed and ferocity that all Blastoise can do is try to endure?!"_ Gary clenched his fists tightly upon realizing this. _"Come on, Blastoise! You can endure this! Don't give up!"_

Dragonite eventually backed off, holding its head in pain. The aura around it faded and it seemed like had come down with a headache from the rampage. For a moment, though, it appeared as though Dragonite's job was done. Lance was about to declare his victory when Gary's Blastoise started to slowly get up on its feet, causing Lance's jaw to go slack.

"Looks like we still get one more shot at this!" Gary called out ecstatically, grinning from ear to ear. "Blastoise, finish this quick! Blizzard!"

"Our efforts will not be in vain!" Lance called back. "Dragonite, Twister!"

Dragonite struggled with its headache for a moment before finally turning toward Blastoise and flapping its wings, while Blastoise stood up straight and fired a blast of ice and snow at Dragonite. Blastoise's attack almost reached Dragonite before the twister finally formed around it, sucking all the ice and snow back toward it. The twister ravaged Blastoise's body and battered it with its own Blizzard. Blastoise was frozen in a solid block of ice when the twister finally stopped.

"...Close, but it looks like I lose in the end afterall." Gary said quietly, taking out Blastoise's pokeball and recalling him.

"Then it's decided. From this point on, you will be a member of the Elite Four and I will be the Elite Four Champion." Lance said, eliciting cheers and applause from Rina and a handful of gym leaders. "Dragonite, well done my friend. You may take a rest now." Lance then recalled Dragonite, placing its pokeball back on his belt.

"No." Gary said flatly, causing everyone in the arena to suddenly look at him. "Lance, Viridian City gym is still without a permanent leader, am I right?"

"That is correct..." Lance replied with a nod, regarding him curiously. "Though she is retired, Agatha is temporarily looking after the gym until a replacement for Giovanni is found." Lance's eyes went wide, realizing why Gary was asking. "Wait! You don't mean..."

"I've had plenty of time to think about this." Gary replied before Lance could continue. "At this point, I don't think I'm really cut out to handle the responsibility of being a member of the Elite Four in any form. Which is why I intend to step down and take over the Viridian City gym instead."

_"Wow, that's actually a fairly mature and level-headed decision."_ Ashley thought. She then narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. _"There's no way he made it on his own..."_

"I see..." Lance nodded slightly, then sighed. "So we will need to find yet another member for the Elite Four, it seems."

Gary shrugged. "Big deal. Just take the second place guy from the qualifying tournament." He suggested to Lance. "You said it yourself, he could have even won if he wasn't against dark-type trainer in the final round."

Lance nodded. "You have a point I suppose. We will have to contact Will and let him know a position recently became available, then. With that being said..." Lance turned to address the gym leaders and Elite Four members gathered in the audience stand, all on the same side of the arena.

"Everyone, from this day forward I, Lance, will be the leader of the Elite Four. Kanto's Elite Four will consist of Will, Koga, Bruno, and Karen." The group gathered before him applauded, save for some of the Johto gym leaders and Elite Four. "Viridian City's gym will be run by Gary from now on." Lance added, then looked over at Gary. "We can discuss your theme later, since I am sure you do not intend to stick with the previous gym leader's ground-type theme."

"I already have something in mind." Gary replied calmly. "I'll run it by you after."

Lance nodded and then turned back to the gym leaders. "In addition, as I am sure you are all aware, it was recently decided that the Johto region would move toward having its own separate league. With that being said, I would like to take a moment to introduce the top four finalists from that tournament. Together, they will form the Johto Elite Four."

More cheering, this time from the Johto half of the league. A pink haired gym leader in particular put a lot of enthusiasm into her cheering until Lance held up a hand to silence them all.

"The first of Johto's Elite Four, Alexander..." Lance gestured toward a muscular, white-haired man in gleaming silver body armor in the style of ancient civilizations. The man stood up and hopped over the barrier almost effortlessly, in spite of his heavy armor, to stand on the battlefield. He then turned to address the rest of the gym leaders and elites.

"The name's Alexander, my psychic-type pokemon will conquer the minds of my foes." He winked at a blue-haired female gym leader, snapping his fingers and pointing at her with his hand held like a gun. "And I'll conquer your body, babe. Whaddya say?"

The woman glared back at him. She cracked a whip in the air and stretched it between her hands. "Why don't you come up here and say that?" She growled.

"Heh heh. I like where this is going!" Alexander replied, grinning widely. The woman grimaced, her grip on her whip slackening.

"That name bugs me for some reason." May mumbled, glancing at Melany from the corner of her eye.

Lance sighed, slapping the palm of his hand against his forehead. _"I swear my first act as champion is going to be pushing for a personality test requirement for potential elites or gym leaders."_ Lance shook his head and straightened up. "Moving right along, next is Cleo." Lance gestured toward a red haired girl wearing a navy-blue, knee-length dress and holding a thick black book under her arm. She quietly got up and moved down to the battlefield, going through a nearby door in the blue barrier surrounding it, and stood next to Alexander.

"My name is Cleo. My pokemon are of the steel type." Cleo said to the group before her. "Regard your soldiers as children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death."

"That sounds kinda...morbid." Rina intoned bitterly. "But saying that, she must at least care deeply for her pokemon."

"As a trainer, I have studied the art of war thoroughly and apply what I have learned to pokemon battles." Cleo continued.

"You know, I can't help but find this a bit odd." Melany said, looking between the two new elites. "The armored guy is the psychic-type trainer and the studious trainer trains steel-types?"

"Yeah, they're actually breaking stereotypes here a bit." Ashley said, nodding slightly in agreement with her. "I'm not sure what studying war can teach you about one-on-one pokemon battles. Even in tag battles I can't imagine that knowledge being very useful." Ashley shrugged. "Must be worth something, though, if she's strong enough to be an Elite Four."

"Next is Isabella." Lance continued. A black-haired girl in a pink sweater and white khakis quickly moved down to the field and waved to everyone.

"Hey everyone! My name is Isabella, and my pokemon are all of the poison type! It's through strict diet and excercise that we're here today!" The girl said. She didn't look much older than Ashley, definitely still a teenager. "I keep up with all the latest diet trends, for both humans and pokemon!"

"She's...positively ordinary." Melany noted, blinking in disbelief.

"And she trains...poison-type pokemon?" Rina said, equally bewildered.

"What do poison-type pokemon, a teenage girl, and dieting even have to do with each other?" May wondered aloud, pondering.

"I can think of at least one thing, given how most poison-type attacks work. It's not exactly a pleasant thought, though." Ashley said, grimacing.

"Finally, the temporary leader until a champion is decided..." Lance hesitated for a moment before finally saying the name. "Vlad..." He gestured toward the final Johto Elite Four. A young male, likely the same age as Isabella. His hair was a pale, sickly green and he had bags under his eyes. He wore a white sweater and, when he got up to move to the battlefield, everyone could see that he was barefoot and wearing what used to be a pair of blue jeans but had the bottoms ripped off to turn them into a pair of shorts. All in all, he looked the least like a competent trainer out of them all, and even less like leadership material. When he reached the battlefield, he turned to address the group.

"I'm Vlad..." The boy said quietly. "I see...the dead." The boy scratched at his side. "Pokemon. Human. I can't sleep...when I do...I see them. Sometimes...they tell me when others will join them. My pokemon...are all ghosts."

"THAT'S JUST STUPID!" May blurted out suddenly, quickly standing from her seat and shaking her fist at him. "If you can't sleep because you see ghosts then isn't that the last type of pokemon you would want around you?!"

Vlad silently stared back at May for a moment before briefly closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he pointed a finger at her. "YOU!" May flinched as he yelled to her. "Before the end of the third year since your becoming champion...you will die."

May gasped. "Wh-what?!" She quickly shook her head in defiance. "No way! I don't believe you!"

Vlad shrugged. "Believe what you want."

Again, the palm of Lance's hand struck his forehead. _"Perhaps it's too late for a personality test to be of any help..." _He sighed and lowered his hand. "In spite of his demeanour, he is an intelligent leader." He assured the rest of the group. "In any case, I will leave you to get to know each other. I have business to attend to." Lance then left the arena, along with Gary, through the Elite Four's entrance.

"You...you guys don't think he was right, do you?" May anxiously asked the other three girls sitting next to her.

"Well, some people do have abilities like that..." Ashley said quietly. Silence fell between the four girls as they took that in. Or at least, three of them were.

"You know, he explained why he looks like he's so tired, supposedly, but what does that have to do with his lack of socks? Or shoes? Or a proper pair of pants?" Melany said, staring intently at Vlad. The Johto gym leaders had crowded around him and the other Johto Elite Four by now, talking and getting to know them. The Kanto gym leaders were more interested in talking to Koga, who had recently been promoted from gym leader to Elite Four.

May growled and grabbed Melany by the collar of her shirt. "MELANY! WEREN'T YOU LISTENING?!"

"You don't have to yell." Melany replied calmly. "May, just take a look at the guy."

May looked back over her shoulder at Vlad, still keeping her grip on Melany's shirt. Already the gym leaders seemed to have lost interest in talking to him, with only Morty, the ghost-type gym leader of Ecruteak, still conversing. "Just what am I looking for, exactly?" May asked Melany in an annoyed tone.

"Him, in general." Melany replied. "If you ask me, he looks like a socially awkward, emo teen. He was probably just trying to scare you since you put him on the spot like that."

"...you think so?" May slowly released her grip on Melany's shirt, keeping her gaze fixated on Vlad.

"If you're really worried about it, why not find someone with similar abilities and ask them?" Ashley suggested. "Sabrina, for example, is a psychic herself and sometimes gets visions of future events. She might be able to tell you something."

"Now that you mention it, I remember hearing that Morty was a seer too." May nodded. "Ok, I'll ask Sabrina and Morty once Vlad's gone..." May shuddered. "Right or not, I don't like that guy!"

"Well, in the meantime, I've got to go see Lance." Ashley said, getting up from her seat and turning to Rina. "You coming too or staying here?"

"I have to see him about something too, actually..." Rina said quietly, glancing at a purple pokeball attached to her belt. She hopped up from her seat and nodded to Ashley, then the two of them headed down to the field and toward the exit Lance and Gary took.

"You know, there's a lot of cute girls in the Kanto and Johto leagues." Melany stated, staring at the group gathered below. This earned her a quick jab in the gut from May before she sat down next to her.

"I don't want to hear that from you." May said to her, but then blushed slightly as she eyed one of the male gym leaders. "Though... that Bugsy's kinda cute... I think he's the gym leader from Azalea."

Melany blinked in disbelief and sat up straight, trying to get a good look at Bugsy. "Wait a minute...you mean that's a guy?!" Melany glanced over at May suspiciously. "Come to think of it, wasn't the last 'guy' you fell for kinda girly-looking?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

* * *

"So, you said you had an idea already?" Lance asked Gary, now out in the corridor leading away from. Gary gave no response. Instead, he tossed a disc toward Lance. Lance caught it and examined the label. "TM92...I am not familiar with this one."

"That's because that one is relatively new." Gary replied, turning to face Lance and flicking his cape behind him. "The TM contains Trick Room. A strange technique, but with many tactical applications. It causes slow pokemon to move faster, and fast pokemon to move slower. I intend to start retraining my team to take advantage of that technique."

"A strange technique indeed..." Lance mumbled, stroking his chin as he thought over just how such a technique could be used. His pokemon were all fairly fast, though, or could increase their speed easily. It didn't seem like a very useful technique for his own team. "This is quite the undertaking, it may take some time to master Trick Room."

Gary shrugged. "I'm not too worried about that." He paused for a moment, then said, "I'll be needing that TM back..."

Lance chuckled. "Of course." He approached Gary and handed the TM back to them.

"I'm off then. I've got remodeling to do." Gary said, pocketing the TM. He turned with a swish of his cape and started off down the corridor.

"I would just like to say one thing, Gary." Lance said. Gary stopped briefly but didn't look back at him. "You're more capable than you give yourself credit for. You surprised even me with how you handled the incident with Duke." Gary remained quiet for a moment before finally responding to Lance's statement.

"Anyone else would have done the same. A public execution? In this day and age?" Gary shook his head. "No, we're better than that. Leave the public executions to dictators and barbarians."

"I suppose you're right, but hearing it from you came as a surprise to me." Lance said to him.

"Whatever." Gary replied, then continued off down the corridor.

"Did Gary really say something like that?" Ashley asked in disbelief once Gary was out of earshot. She and Rina had entered the corridor unnoticed, arriving in time to hear Gary's response to a public execution.

"He's changed quite a bit this past year, don't you think?" Lance said as he turned to face them, tossing his cape aside to keep it behind him. "Is there something I can help you girls with?"

"I just wanted to ask if my position as regional champion is secure, given that the Elite Four has almost completely changed since I battled them." Ashley said to Lance.

Lance nodded. "Your position is secure, yes." He replied, folding his arms in front of him. "Is that all you wanted to know?"

Ashley leaned in close to Rina to whisper to her. "Straight to the point, isn't he?" She said. Rina nodded in agreement.

"Well?"

"Actually I was wondering if the Elite Four attended any sort of events." Ashley asked him. Lance gave her a questioning look and raised an eyebrow. "You know, parties, conventions, tournaments..."

"Absolutely not." Lance replied tersely. "We do not have time for such things..."

_"Thought he might say something like that."_ Ashley thought, holding back a sigh. _"Lance is more the type of guy to stop a party than go to one, Bruno's more interested in training, Koga's probably the same, and Karen...Karen..."_ Ashley blinked. _"Wait, I haven't even met her yet. Maybe she's different from the others?"_

"Ah, well, I guess that's everything then! Thanks!" Ashley waved and quickly headed back into the arena.

_"What was that all about?"_ Rina wondered, turning and watching Ashley as she ran off.

"I wonder about that girl sometimes." Lance muttered to himself. He then fixated his gaze on Rina. "Was there something you needed too, then, Rina?"

"Umm...well..." Rina unclipped the master ball from her belt and held it in her hand. "There's something I was hoping you could help me with..."

* * *

Back in the arena, Vlad was already leaving after only a brief and largely one-sided chat with Morty. Once Vlad was out of sight, May and Melany went down to the field to speak with Morty.

"Hard to get a word out of that one." Morty said under his breath, not noticing the two girls approaching him.

"Hey! Morty!" May called out, though only standing a few feet behind him.

"Hmm?" Morty slowly turned to face her and smiled slightly. "If it isn't Johto's foreign champion. Is there something I can help you with?"

_"Foreign champion?"_ Melany thought, raising an eyebrow. _"Is that what they're calling her here in Johto?"_

"Is it true that you're a seer?" May asked him.

Morty chuckled to himself and folded his arms. "Worried about what Vlad said?"

May gasped. "Wow! You knew what I was going to ask?!" May grinned, beaming with enthusiasm. "You really ARE a seer!" Melany cringed and slapped her hand against her forehead.

_"May, sometimes you just say the stupidest things..."_

"Well, yes, but that's not how I knew." Morty said to her. May's grin faded slightly. "I merely deduced that you were afraid it might be true and were hoping I, with my far-seeing abilities, could tell you whether you would live or die."

"Well can you?" May asked. Morty shook his head and May's grin faded completely, turning into a frown.

"Whether by psychic powers or clairvoyance gained from meditation, we have little control over the visions we can see. However..." Morty smirked. "I did ask Vlad about it. He said he doesn't like being yelled at."

"That's...that's why he said that?!" May clenched her fist tightly.

"Didn't I say that was probably it?" Melany said to her. May shot her a glare.

Morty sighed and scratched the side of his head, near his headband. "I was hoping he would tell me what kind of strategies he uses, being a trainer of ghost pokemon, but that boy doesn't talk much..."

"Socially awkward. I said that too." Melany said. May glared at her again.

"Fine! You were right! Happy?!" May growled.

Melany smirked. "Very."

"Whatever." May grumbled. "At least now I don't have to worry about a death clock hovering over my head."

"Glad I was able to help, even if you did not specifically require my abilities." Morty said to her. "On that note, I need to get back to my training. I didn't plan to stay here after Lance's battle. Perhaps we will meet again."

"Ok, thanks again Morty." May said. Morty then headed toward the challenger's entrance of the arena, which was the quickest way out. On his way he stopped for a moment to look back at May and Melany, but then shook his head and continued toward the exit.

"Well, you ready to leave?" Melany asked May.

"Huh?" May blinked and looked at her in confusion. "Why? You can leave without me, can't you?"

"Well, yeah, I just thought we could go back to Hoenn together since it's been so long." Melany replied. "I mean, you never drop by the island at all these days."

"Ohhh?" May smirked. "Melany! And here I thought you wouldn't be hitting on me anymore!"

"What?! That's not it at all!" Melany shot back frantically, then sighed. "Look, I just thought it'd be nice to talk in person for once instead of over the pokenavs."

"Well, well, well! What do we have here!" Melany and May looked over when they heard a man's voice and saw Alexander, Cleo, and Isabella standing nearby. Alexander had a lecherous grin on his face. "A young lesbian couple, eh? What do you girls say to meeting up later for a little...fun?"

Melany winced. _"Hoo boy, May's gonna..."_

"WHY YOU!" May charged toward him, giving Alexander little chance to react before her fist came flying at his head. Though he wore a helmet as part of his armor, there was no face plate. May's fist smashed into his face and down he went, falling onto his back.

"I guess...that's...a no..." He groaned weakly.

_"Yeah. He had that coming."_ Melany thought.

"So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and attack at what is weak." Cleo mumbled to herself, eying May as she reached down to grab one of Alexander's arms.

"Sorry about this..." Isabella said, grabbing Alexander by the other arm and dragging him toward the exit with Cleo. "Damn it, Alex! You're going on a diet!" Isabella said in frustration, the name causing Melany to flinch.

"That is one seriously messed up Elite Four." Melany muttered. "One obsessed with conquering things in a manner that really should have landed him in jail by now, one obsessed with war, one obsessed with death, and one obsessed with...dieting?" Melany shook her head sadly. "I can only imagine how bad the rest of the entries must have been if they got through..."

"Let's just go already..." May muttered, still clenching her fists and seething with rage.

"That guy really got to you, didn't he?"

"It really sickens me that someone like him could be strong enough to be an Elite!" May growled. "Forget jail, the police couldn't touch someone like that anyway! He's just as bad as-" May suddenly stopped, her eyes opening wide in surprise when she felt a pair of arms hugging her from behind.

"May, relax. There's no point in getting angry over it." Melany whispered to her. "I'm sure some strong trainers will show up in Johto eventually. Once someone has conquered the new league then their champion will fix things up I'm sure."

"...Hugging me while I'm in a bad mood? That could have gotten you hurt you know." May said to her, smiling slightly.

"I kinda acted on impulse." Melany said to her. Just as she finished talking a bright flash illuminated the two. Blinking in confusion, Melany immediately let go of May and the two of them turned to see Ashley standing nearby with her camera.

"Now THAT is one for the scrapbook!" Ashley said, grinning widely. An older woman wearing a black, sleeveless dress was standing next to her.

"Ashley!" May yelled, lunging for her and reaching for the camera. Ashley held it over her head, just out of reach. "Give me that! Now!"

"What's the matter? That was a really heartwarming moment between you two!" Ashley said to her with a wide grin.

"Hmm? What's the big deal?" The other woman asked Ashley while May was still reaching for the camera.

"May, don't worry about it. No one's going to think anything from that photo." Melany said to her before Ashley could say anything.

"What?!" May turned around to face her. "But you were hugging me!"

"And? What's wrong with two friends hugging?" Melany said, a smirk creeping across her lips as she looked past May at Ashley.

_"Well played, Melany."_ Ashley thought. _"And yet, you don't seem to find it the slightest bit odd that one of you doesn't think that way, do you?"_

"I guess you're right." May said to her, but then quickly turned and glared at Ashley. "But either way, that picture better not show up ANYWHERE!"

"Of course not." Ashley replied, smiling. "I'm just going to hold onto it. For something to look back on later."

"Right..." May turned and walked back over to Melany. "Are we going now?"

"Ready whenever you are." Melany replied, nodding.

"Not waiting for Rina?" Ashley asked her. Melany shook her head.

"She's staying the night in Pewter, said she wanted to get Lance's help with something." Melany replied.

_"Come to think of it, I left before I had the chance to hear what Rina was going to talk to Lance about."_ Ashley thought to herself.

"By the way, Ashley, seems someone's asked for a picture of a 'Sudowoodo.' But I'm sure you can find one of those easily enough." Melany said with a smirk. "Well, see you around!" Melany and May then turned and headed toward the exit, their backs to Ashley as she glared at Melany from behind.

"I knew it..." Ashley thought.

"Friends of your's I take it?" The older woman asked her.

"If they weren't, I'd have to kill 'em." Ashley replied, turning to the woman and smiling lightly. "So, Karen, you said you knew a good place in Saffron?"

"I do indeed." Karen said to her. "You don't plan to go dressed like that, do you?" She asked, looking over the blue tank top and red skirt that still made up Ashley's travel outfit.

"Of course not, I have a black dress of my own. Just a quick stop by Pallet to pick it up." Ashley replied. Karen nodded to her.

"I will go to Saffron then and wait outside the gym." Karen said. "There is a friend there who will be joining us."

"Sounds good! At least there's someone in this league worth hanging around with!" Ashley turned and glanced back at the gym leaders. Several Johto gym leaders were gathered around the blue haired dragon tamer of the group. "What are they up to anyway?"

Karen looked back at the group as well before she replied. "Seems they're not happy with their own Elite Four and are talking Clair, Lance's cousin and the strongest of the gym leaders, into challenging them for the position of champion." Karen explained to her. "They're hoping she will...whip them into shape, so to speak."

"Can't say I blame them." Ashley said with a shrug, then looked back at Karen. "Well, shall we go?" Karen nodded, and then the two of them headed out.

* * *

Author's Notes: Fun fact, in Japan, Kanto's gym badges are all named after colors. As it happens, Giovanni's badge is called the Green Badge, and Green is the name of the rival character in Japan. This is probably a big reason for Gary/Green(jp)/Blue(na) taking over Giovanni's gym.

Writing out the conversations toward the end of this was difficult for some reason. Partially because I had so many ideas floating around in my head, to the point where I'd need a flow chart and an entire chapter to give it proper coverage while including all of them, and partially because I got stuck at one or two points where one conversation had to lead into another.

Next chapter will be...I'm not sure yet. Have to touch up on what happened between Rina and Lance, obviously. Maybe another split-up chapter, showing May at a party or something, Ashley out at a club, and Rina meeting up with Melany on the island again. Leaning toward that at this point anyway.

The Johto League Elite Four is something that's pretty much going to fade into the background for now, but it'll be important when the Johto Saga comes around. Obviously. Which is a ways off yet. Why a Johto League? Well, does anyone remember Brad? Pretty sure that was the guy's name anyway...


	14. Chapter 14: Time to Unwind

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company. You know, standard disclaimer stuff. Now that that's out of the way...**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Time to Unwind**

Date: 1 year, 1 month, 5 - 6 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

After leaving Indigo Plateau, Ashley took a quick stop by her home in Kanto. There, she changed into a black mini-dress, which had a small slit on either leg. She also put on a pair of black high heel shoes before leaving and debated doing up her hair, but then remembered she would be riding a pokemon to Saffron and the wind would just mess it up. Despite that, she left her hat at home.

After getting changed, Ashley rode her Pidgeot to Saffron City and met up with Karen outside the city's gym. She was surprised to see Sabrina there waiting as well. She was wearing a pair of white pants held up by a black belt and a purple tanktop that left her midriff bare.

"Sabrina? You're coming too?" Ashley said in disbelief when she landed and saw the psychic gym leader.

"It seems I am being dragged into this, yes." Sabrina replied bitterly.

"She needs to lighten up a bit." Karen explained, shrugging her shoulders. "I did give her the chance to dispute it in battle, but she submitted instead."

"I am a trainer of psychic pokemon, I do not need psychic powers to know I would lose to an elite trainer of dark pokemon." Sabrina said, sounding even more bitter. "You already beat me once as it is."

"Well, you could have at least tried." Karen said to her.

Ashley carefully hopped off Pidgeot's back, making sure her dress stayed down, and then recalled him. She then clipped the pokeball to a special band just under the hem of her dress and turned to Sabrina and Karen. "So, where is this place anyway?"

"It's not far from here. I'll lead the way." Karen replied.

The three girls then set off from the gym, Karen and Ashley walking side by side as Karen lead them to her club of choice. Sabrina, lacking any interest in going out to a club when she could be training or seeking out future psychics, lagged several feet behind them.

Eventually they arrived at a building the next street over with a red, neon sign saying "Saffron New Moon Club". A moon lit up in the shape of a new moon was at the end of the club's name. The outside of the building, aside from the sign, hardly stood out from the surrounding buildings except that the windows were all tinted. Unable to see inside, it was impossible to tell from a glance just what the club was like.

"This is the place." Karen said to them.

"The New Moon Club?" Ashley blinked and looked at Karen. "What is this place like anyway?"

"It's a fairly laid back place." Karen explained to her. "Pool, card games, bar and pub. The biggest rule is that pokemon must be kept inside their pokeballs, though the bouncers are exempt of course." Karen looked back at Ashley, noticing her disappointment. "Hmm? Is something wrong?"

"Well...no, I guess not..." Ashley replied, folding her arms. "I was kinda expecting something else, but as long as I can meet some nice guys here then I guess its good enough."

Karen chuckled. "If that's what you want, then this would be the best place for someone like you."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's referring to your status." Sabrina explained. "As Kanto's champion, men would treat you differently. Some would be intimidated, some would think they need to put on an act to impress you."

"That's right." Karen said, nodding in agreement. "But most guys that would come here are more mature than that. You would have an easier time finding a worthwhile boyfriend if that's what your after."

"I don't know if I'd go that far on the first night, but that does sound reasonable." Ashley replied, smiling to herself. _"Looks like I was right about Karen, she really knows her stuff."_

"At least it's not a noisy dance club." Sabrina muttered under her breath.

"Of course, if you'd prefer, say, a dance club, we could go to one next time." Karen added, winking at Sabrina. The psychic trainer glared icily at her.

_"Now I'm beginning to see why Sabrina was so reluctant."_ Ashley thought, noticing Sabrina's reaction.

"Well, shall we go inside then?" Karen said to them.

The three girls went inside the club and were immediately greeted by a rather dimly lit room. The entire club was one open area with one raised section at the back, a stage for a band that was currently empty. There were eight tables leading up to the stage in two lines of four, each table having two chairs set next to them. Lights were set up above each table, but only illuminated the tables they were over. There was a bar on the left side of the room, attended by a single young lady serving drinks and with four stools in front of it for the patrons. The lights above the bar only illuminated it as well. Finally, on the right side of the room, two pool tables both illuminated by their own lights.

"Ah...I'm starting to see why you like this place." Ashley said as she looked around, then turned to Karen with a smirk on her face. "It has your theme written all over it."

"Now don't think me to be so singleminded." Karen said to her, waving a finger disapprovingly. "Though you're correct in guessing that I like the atmosphere here. It's a good place to relax and meet with friendly, mature people. As I said before."

"Hmm..." Ashley stroked her chin. Looking around the room, she took notice of a poker game in progress near the stage with three men and two women playing cards. They had taken chairs from a nearby table for their game. She also noticed two men playing pool. Both groups seemed to be putting a bit of money on the line. Realizing this, she turned to Sabrina with a wide grin on her face. "Oh Sabrina..."

"They'd realize you're cheating in an instant if we tried." Sabrina said to her. "Not to mention I have my reputation as a gym leader to keep in mind."

"Doesn't mean we can't shoot a little pool." Karen flashed Sabrina a grin. "Well, what do you say? You and I both know you can't cheat against me, afterall."

"You're on. It's something I might actually be able to beat you at." Sabrina replied.

_"Seems like Karen can negate Sabrina's psychic powers somehow."_ Ashley thought. _"I wonder if that's because of the dark-type pokemon Karen carries with her?"_

"What about you, Ashley?" Karen asked her.

"I think I'll just grab something to drink for now and maybe join you two in a bit." Ashley glanced over at the empty bar. "Do they have anything non-alcoholic?"

"They do have soda and water." Karen said.

"That'll do." Ashley replied. "Enjoy your game."

The girls split up, Karen and Sabrina heading toward the unoccupied pool table while Ashley went to the bar. She ordered a diet cola and was handed a tall glass within seconds and quickly took a sip from it.

"You're a new face around here." The female bartender said after handing Ashley her drink. "So you're a friend of Karen's, huh?" The question made Ashley pause mid-drink.

_"She really doesn't recognize me?"_ Ashley thought in disbelief. _"Either she doesn't get out much or is used to seeing me in my hat and travel outfit..." _She slowly set the drink back down on the bar top. "You could say that I guess, though we only met recently."

"Oh? Come to think of it, you do look kinda familiar..." The bartender leaned in closer to her, peering at her curiously. After thinking for a moment, she stepped back and hit the palm of her hand with her fist. "I know! You must have been one of the other competitors!" Ashley resisted the urge to hit her head against the bar.

"Definitely need a bigger variety in my travel clothes..." She thought.

Before Ashley could correct the girl, a young man with long blonde hair and wearing a black leather jacket and jeans sat down next to her. "Barkeep, your finest whiskey, if you will." He said, then turned and flashed Ashley a smile, showing off his polished white teeth. The first thought that entered Ashley's mind was that he was the very definition of a 'pretty boy'. "Hey there, name's...Jack." He said, introducing himself.

_"Even in a place like this, the first guy I run into is just trying to impress me."_ Ashley ignored him and took another sip of her soda. _"Wonder how long until he starts with the pick-up lines?"_

"Hmph! I have a name!" The bartender said indignantly, then headed into a back room. Ashley didn't notice her take one last curious glance at the guy before quickly ducking into the room.

"So, babe, come here often?" Jack asked Ashley, smile still plastered across his face.

"First time." Ashley replied flatly.

"Same here." Jack grinned. "Maybe this was fate..."

_"Well. He wasted no time at all."_ She thought. Glancing over at him, Ashley could make out a pokeball attached to his belt. _"Only one pokeball...definitely not a serious trainer then, and judging by his appearance and attitude I'd say he's a player. If we weren't in the club right now I'd gladly teach him a lesson..."_

"You know, this place is kinda...boring, wouldn't you say?" Jack said to Ashley. "Perhaps we should take this conversation...elsewhere?"

"And opportunity knocks." Ashley thought, putting on a fake smile as she turned to him. "Of course, I would love to!"

"Well then..." Jack stood up and held out a hand to her. "Shall we?" Ashley placed her hand in his and the two of them walked out of the club, forgetting about their drinks. In fact, the bartender never even emerged from the back room. From across the room, Sabrina watched in mild annoyance as Ashley left.

"Looks like she's found a man already." Karen said with a slight smirk, pool cue in hand and leaning against the back wall while she waited for Sabrina to take her shot. "Doesn't look like much if you ask me, but everyone has their own set of interests I suppose."

Sabrina was looking over her shoulder at the two leaving, positioned over the pool table with her next shot lined up. The white ball was on an angle from the green-and-white fourteen ball, ready to hit it into the left-middle pocket. "Of course, your interests would be similar to your interest in pokemon types, wouldn't it?" Sabrina said to her, then took the shot. She hit the tip of her pool cue into the white ball, sending it rolling into fourteen ball and sinking it.

"Well of course, you know why I train dark-types afterall." Karen said to her. "Your shot again."

"Something about their 'wild' and 'tough' image, as I recall. You said that the day you challenged me for my badge." Sabrina stood back and examined the pool table, quietly mumbling to herself. "No easy moves left, this might be a struggle..."

"It seems like that was ages ago now." Karen leaned her head back, reminiscing. "Three pokemon each, and the first major battle for my recently evolved Houndoom..."

"By the way..." Sabrina glanced toward the door. "What do you think those two are up to? Don't you find it odd that they left so soon?"

"Hmm?" Karen looked back at her. "What are you implying?"

"That teenagers move way too quickly these days, and possibly that Ashley's 'loose'." Sabrina grumbled. Turning her attention back to the game, Sabrina lined up another shot. She had to try for a trick shot, firing the white ball at the nearby seven. She managed to bounce it off the edge, but it came short of reaching the corner pocket she was aiming for. She cursed under her breath, knowing she had just set up the shot for Karen instead.

"Though I don't know why she left either, I doubt Ashley is that kind of girl." Karen replied, pushing off the wall and approaching the table. She started to line up her shot but stopped when she noticed the bartender approaching them, looking nervous.

"Umm...did either of you see where the two at the bar went?" The bartender asked.

"They left, that's about it." Sabrina replied, glancing back over her shoulder at the girl. "Why? Is there a problem?"

"That guy she was with is a wanted criminal! Look!" The bartender held up a wanted poster for Sabrina and Karen to see. "I just ducked into the back room quickly to call the police but those two were already gone when I got back!"

"Oh. Is that all." Karen shrugged. She finally lined up her shot and hit the ball, aiming for a different billiard ball than the one Sabrina had left open. A precise hit to the ball she chose to shoot at caused a chain reaction, sinking every billiard ball that remained. She then stood up and looked at Sabrina with a smirk. "So, what do you think about all this?"

Sabrina closed her eyes for a moment, clearing her mind in hopes of receiving a vision. She received none, though. "I see nothing...but I do not believe there is cause for concern." Sabrina said, opening her eyes. She then glared at Karen. "Best two out of three."

"Why aren't you two worried? Isn't she a friend of your's?" The worried bartender asked them. "I called the police but who knows what will happen before they find him!"

"The girl you're worrying about happens to be the champion, Ashley. One who has faced down criminal organizations. This guy won't be any threat to her." Karen said to the bartender and then looked back at Sabrina. "Well, since you lost this match, you can start the next one." Karen took out a red rack, used to set up the billiard balls, and placed it on the table. She then set about gathering up the billiard balls from the six pockets and tossing them onto the table as well.

"That was the champion just now?" The bartender said, blinking in disbelief. "I didn't even recognize her without her hat and that blue and red outfit she usually wears." She shrugged. "Guess there's no need to worry then." The bartender hurried back to the bar, one patron impatiently waiting to get a drink when she returned.

"That outfit seems to be pretty iconic for her." Sabrina said, looking down at her own clothes and wrinkling her nose. "It doesn't feel quite right to not be in my uniform."

"Oh, you'll get used to it." Karen said to her.

Karen and Sabrina played through another match, with Karen managing to win once again. Before Sabrina could request a best three out of five, Ashley finally returned and approached the two.

"You two won't believe what just happened!" Ashley said excitedly, grinning from ear to ear.

"The guy turned out to be a criminal and the police showed up to arrest him?" Sabrina said to her. Ashley blinked.

"How did you..." Ashley quickly shook her head. "Nevermind...you're right though. He had a Tangela, but Pidgeot dropped it in a single move."

"Must have been more to it than that though, you seemed pretty happy just now." Karen said.

Ashley opened her mouth to explain, but Sabrina cut her off. "There were two police officers, one a 'cute' young male of roughly her age. She slipped her phone number to him." She glanced back at Ashley. "At this range, reading your mind is a trivial matter."

Ashley pouted and placed her hands on her hips. "You two are no fun at all..."

Karen chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Sounds like you had quite the night and we haven't even been out long. Think he'll call you?"

"What guy wouldn't?" Ashley replied with a confident smirk. "So how'd your game go?"

"Sabrina was about to suggest a three out of five." Karen said, casting a knowing look at Sabrina.

"I-I most certainly was not!" Sabrina shot back indignantly, handing off her pool cue to Ashley. "Here! I'm getting a drink!" She said, then stormed off toward the bar.

"Wow...losing to you must really get to her." Ashley noted. She shrugged and walked over to the pool table. "Well, I guess I'm game then."

"Oh?" Karen smirked. "Do you even know the rules?"

"Vaguely." Ashley replied, smirking back at her. "I won't let that stop me though. I'm feeling pretty lucky tonight!"

Karen set up the table for another game and Ashley started off the break, managing to sink many of the balls with her first shot. She would go on to win that game and another after that, her 'lucky' streak continuing well into the night. Sabrina watched after grabbing her drink, a slight smile on her face as Karen lost match after match to someone who had just started out. Before the night was out, not one of the girls would end up mingling with the other bar patrons.

* * *

The next day, at Rustboro City in Hoenn, a trade show was being held. Run primarily by Devon, the trade show was open both to investors and trainers alike. It gave a glimpse at upcoming products intended to make a trainer's travels easier, with everything from new devices for getting around to new pokeballs. The event took place within the arena used for the Devon Grand Prix, which was set up to house the trade show.

The trade show took place the day after the gathering at Indigo Plateau, and May found herself attending it. Devon itself was putting on a presentation to show off their own new products and May was seated next to Phoebe and Sidney to watch. The two Elite Four had informed May of the event and, after her meeting with Johto's new Elite Four, she felt it would be a good chance for her to unwind. However...

_"A trade show definitely isn't what I had in mind..."_ May thought, sighing deeply. Up ahead of her, an older woman in a business suit was going on about sales and showing off charts on a portable projector screen. _"Blah, blah, blah. I can't believe Phoebe and Sidney thought I'd actually find this interesting..."_

The presentation was set up along the side of the field in a large, darkened tent to keep it secluded from the rest of the show. There were seats for about a hundred spectators, but only slightly more than half those seats were full. As time went on, May felt her eyelids getting heavy as the woman's presentation was putting her to sleep. Even nearly falling asleep, though, she noticed some of the empty seats starting to fill up.

_"Is someone going around saying this is interesting or something?"_ May rolled her eyes. _"Too cruel...I just want to go to sleep...I wonder if Sidney and Phoebe did this as a cruel prank?"_ May glanced over at the two Elite Four sitting next to her. They looked about as bored with the presentation as she was.

"...and that is it for my report. I will now turn things over to Mr. Stone for product demonstrations." The woman then stepped aside while a slightly rounded man about the same age as her moved to where she was standing. A pair of Vigoroth carried a pair of large black cases, setting them down next to him.

_"Huh? Product demonstration?"_ May blinked and sat up, curious about the sudden turn of events. _"Is this what everyone was showing up for?"_

"Welcome, everyone! I am sure you are all eager to see our upcoming line of products!" Mr. Stone, president of Devon, said in a cheery tone. "I don't usually present the products myself, but I will be filling in this year as my son is currently off exploring the Sinnoh region. I hope I will still be able to make this interesting for you all."

The crowd gathered applauded Mr. Stone and May looked around in amazement. _"These people really are here for this? Huh..."_ May turned and gave the president a curious glance. _"Then again...they make all those new pokeballs and equipment to help trainers along, so I bet a lot of trainers would be curious. Thinking about it even has me curious now..."_

"Ah...doing the trade show in this arena feels so informal, but nevertheless..." Mr. Stone opened one of the two cases and reached inside, taking a blue pokenav out of it. "First, I would like to talk to you about our new pokenav model, Pokenav Version T." He held up the pokenav for all to see.

"That doesn't look any different from my version..." May blinked. "Wait, why version T? The last one was version 3, right? Why switch from numbers to letters?"

"It is much the same as the version three pokenavs." Mr. Stone explained, gesturing toward the device with his free hand. "All the same features, software upgraded to the recent patch. However, it makes new use of the match call feature. It can now, to a degree, translate pokemon speech!" The crowd gasped in shock. May could hear the people around her whispering to each other.

"Whoa! Can such a small device even do something like that?" Sidney said in shock.

"I don't need something like that. The bond I share with my ghost pokemon allows me to communicate with them just fine." Phoebe said quietly, sounding mildly annoyed.

_"Rina wouldn't be too happy to hear that I don't think."_ May thought, smiling slightly. _"If a pokenav could translate pokemon speech, her unique ability to do just that wouldn't be as useful..."_

"At this moment in time, we only have translation data for 25% of the species of pokemon in Hoenn." The president continued. "However, new data can simply be added in patches. The device is also quite limited. Only simple messages can be translated, and what can and can't be translated varies from species to species depending on the ways in which a particular species of pokemon will communicate."

_"That sounds way different from Rina's ability."_ May thought. _"Rina seems like she can understand full sentences, and from any pokemon. Even species she's never met before! There must be more to Rina's ability than just understanding direct speech if that's the case, but what could it be?"_

"We are hoping to have all the common species in Hoenn programmed into the device before launch." President Stone said, then put the pokenav back in the case. "Now, for our next item..." Mr. Stone took out what looked like a pair of skates, only without any wheels or blades to hold them up. "Our latest model of running shoes!"

_"Those...look familiar for some reason..."_ May thought hard, trying to figure out why the running shoes looked so familiar. _"Strange...I KNOW I saw those before but its like I went out of my way to forget it ever happened."_

"We have named these new shoes 'Swellow Wear'. They are an upgraded model of the glide shoes. They have an increased power output and are able to sense your body's movements to vary the airflow accordingly so you can run fast and jump high." The president set the shoes down on the ground. "Now, this pair is designed for a female of roughly eleven years...do we have any volunteers to try them out?" He smiled brightly, scanning the crowd.

_"That's...strangely specific..."_ May thought nervously. _"Definitely not volunteering though..." _Although May wasn't planning to volunteer, she felt her hand raising as though something was pulling it up. She looked up in shock and saw the blue aura around it, immediately recognizing it as a pokemon's Psychic attack. _"W-what the?!"_

"Ah! If it isn't Hoenn's very own champion, May! Are you volunteering, miss?" The president said to May. She could feel her hand being released as soon as the president took notice and could hear Sidney and Phoebe snickering.

_"I should have guessed...I was set up from the start..."_ May thought, glaring at them from the corner of her eye. She let out a sigh and slowly stood up. _"Guess I've been volunteered then..." _She made her way toward the front of the tent, all eyes on her as she did and a few people cheering her on, Sidney and Phoebe included.

"What a surprise! The champion herself demonstrating our product!" The president said as May approached him. She could tell that he didn't sound very surprised, though. She looked down at the pair of 'Swellow Wear' shoes that she was supposed to demonstrate and then back at the president.

"These things are safe...right?" May asked him.

"But of course!" He replied, clasping his hands together. "All our products are put through a rigorous series of safety tests long before they would be released to the public!"

"Well, as long as they're safe..." May kicked off her own shoes and slipped into the Swellow Wear shoes provided for her. They fit her perfectly, though it came as no surprise to her at this point. She quickly did up the straps on the shoes, which had clips on them like a ski boots. Standing up straight, she admired her new footwear for a moment. "So, how do I work these things anyway?"

"They turn on automatically once they have been fastened to your feet." President Stone explained. "Go ahead and try them out!"

"Huh?" May looked down at her shoes again. "They don't seem to be doing anything though..."

"Try taking a few steps forward."

May still had her eyes on her feet when she turned her back to Mr. Stone. Even just turning, though, she could feel a pressure under her feet when she moved them. She took a few steps forward, feeling the pressure and hearing a very soft whirring noise. When she came to a stop, the shoes turned off again. "Its...like I'm walking on air." May commented.

"That would be the idea." Mr. Stone said to her and then turned to address the crowd. "Earlier models of our glide shoes had many problems and took some getting used to just to keep from tripping. This model, as you've no doubt noticed, can adjust airflow to keep balance and will simply stop when you stop as if you were walking without the shoes."

_"Tripping?"_ May grimaced, memories finally starting to come back to her. She remembered Melany, dressed as Alex, wearing the shoes and fighting her father, Norman. The shoes were used to deliver the 'final' blow, which May recalled her father barely felt until the next morning when his body was too sore to even get out of bed. _"I was hoping to forget that ever happened..."_

"Now, why don't we give these shoes a real test?" The president suggested. With a clap of his hands, the two Vigoroth moved the projector screen and storage cases aside and stood side-by-side a few feet behind Mr. Stone, nearly at the back of the tent.

May blinked in confusion. "What's with the Vigoroth?"

"You will be jumping them, of course." Mr. Stone replied. May's jaw dropped.

"I'll be WHAT?!"

"Jumping them." Mr. Stone repeated. "Don't worry, with those shoes its entirely possible! And even if you don't make it, one of the Vigoroth can just catch you instead."

"Well..." May looked toward the crowd of people for a moment. Everyone was watching her expectantly. "I guess it wouldn't be a proper demo if I didn't, and its not like I'm jumping a Sharpedo or something." May said, thinking out loud to herself. She moved back to line herself up with the Zangoose while distancing herself from them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, what you are about to witness can only be made possible by either years of intense training or..." Mr. Stone paused, trying to add a dramatic flair to his statement, then stood sideways and gestured toward May. "With our new line of Swellow Wear!"

_"Those Vigoroth are about as tall as I am, I'm more likely to jump into them than over them."_ May thought, crouching down like a sprinter getting ready to start a race. _"He better be right about these shoes or else I'll try kicking certain people with them next! Or maybe I'll..."_ The image of Melany charging and punching Norman entered her mind again. May quickly shook her head. _"No...not doing that."_

"Ok! Here I go!" May announced, then took off running. To her surprise, she was able to run just fine, though she didn't seem to be running any faster than with her normal running shoes. By the time she realized she should probably 'skate' with them, she was too close to the Vigoroth for it to matter and had to make the jump.

Tensing her legs and pushing away from the ground, the shoes responded and increased output to send her high into the air. She was able to easily clear the Vigoroth's heads, soaring at least a foot over them. May was so surprised by this that she forgot she would have to land after jumping over them. She went down face first after clearing the Vigoroth's, hitting the ground hard. The crowd erupted into laughter.

"Ow..." May groaned, slowly lifting her head. Her face was covered in dirt now. She turned her head toward the crowd, glaring in the direction of Sidney and Phoebe. "I swear I'll drop kick both of them after I get a pair of these shoes to keep..."

Mr. Stone, chuckling himself, eventually motioned for silence while May climbed back onto her feet and dusted herself off. The laughter slowly subsided, at which point Mr. Stone finally spoke. "As you can see, with this model we finally have the technology perfected for air-jet shoes. However..." He winked at the crowd and gestured toward May. "Landing takes a bit of practice."

Everyone laughed at May again. She felt her blood starting to boil. "Are we finished yet!?" May asked furiously.

"Ah, yes, I think that was a sufficient demonstration!" Mr. Stone said to her. "Of course, I wouldn't ask you to do this for free after that. You may keep the shoes." He then reached into one of the containers and took out a small envelope, then handed the envelope to May. "Here, you can have this too."

"Umm..." May blinked when she was handed the envelope and looked back at Mr. Stone curiously. "This...isn't something else you need delivered is it?"

"Something I need delivered?" The man pondered for a moment until he finally remembered what May was talking about. "OH! That! No, no, no, that's for you!" He said, waving his hand dismissively. "Why, Steven is in another region right now as it is, I would never ask someone to go all the way there with a letter!"

May sighed in relief. "That's good to know. Umm...thanks then." She quickly picked up her shoes and returned to her seat, glaring at the two Elite Four as she sat down next to them.

"I WILL get you both back for this." She whispered to them. "Won't even see it coming, I swear!"

"Oh? But you might find it harder than you think to get the drop on us." Sidney replied with a smug grin. "Besides, it was all in good fun!"

"It hurt, and I'm covered in dirt." May grumbled.

"A little dirt never hurt anyone." Phoebe replied. "You'll get over it."

May, Phoebe, and Sidney stayed to watch the rest of the trade show. Among the rest of the items revealed were a variety of new pokeballs, including one which worked amazingly well at night or in dark places. There was also a new portable Pokemon Transfer device, which could transfer pokemon too and from a trainer's storage account while on the go. It was fairly expensive, though.

After the presentation by Devon, the three of them went their separate ways to check out other displays set up in the arena. There was no shortage of them, but most of the items they were showing off sounded fairly gimmicky to May at best. Even when compared to some of Devon's own products. One display May did find interesting was a small business starting up with a focus on making pokeballs from apricorns imported from Johto.

Another display May found of interest had no product at all. Instead, it seemed to be advertising some kind of service involving parks. Two parks, in fact. One in Kanto, being built in place of the current Safari Zone due to the warden's retirement, and one in the Sinnoh region. The display had a table set up with a large poster board on it, which May was reading over when one of the attendants addressed her.

"Excuse me, miss, but are you perhaps interested in our Pal Parks?" A young man in his mid twenties asked May.

"Umm...maybe, actually..." She said, reading over the info on the poster board a bit more before turning to the man who addressed her. He was dressed in what May assumed to be some kind of official Pal Park uniform, consisting of a white shirt and green pants and vest. He wore a green hat on his head with a white Pal Park logo on the front. "These Pal Parks...how do they work exactly?"

"Ah!" The man grinned and clasped his hands together. "Glad you asked! Perhaps you are familiar with the Safari Zone?"

"Well, yeah, I've been there before."

"It is a similar concept. Trainers are given a time limit and a number of special park balls to catch a pokemon with. However! There are a few differences!" The man held up a finger with each difference he rhymed off. "First, the park balls work without fail. The challenge is in trying to hit the pokemon with one. Second, it is a much smaller park. At an given time there will be one trainer and six pokemon. As such, time limits are much shorter and you only have one ball with which to catch a pokemon. The pokemon themselves are kept outside the park until a trainer is attempting a capture and the pokemon themselves are, third, donated by other trainers."

"That's the part I was wondering about actually." May said to him. "So trainers donate their own pokemon to these Pal Parks for other trainers to catch?"

"That is correct!" The attendant replied. "There is also a limit on how often a trainer may enter the Pal Park, as there is no fee for the trainers and thus trainers could catch many of our stocked pokemon. This would leave fewer pokemon for other trainers to catch. Having no fee means an upcoming trainer with no pokemon of their own can attempt to catch their first pokemon at a Pal Park, in which case we will even provide transportation to the park for free."

_"That sounds like a pretty good service, actually."_ May thought. _"I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to have gotten Torchic. Then again, Professor Birch was a friend of dad's anyway so he probably would have given me one eventually. But either way, its not an option most people have."_

"The park still makes a profit, though, by charging ticket prices to watch the catching shows and by airing them on local tv networks." The attendant continued. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"Are any of them open yet?" May asked. _"If I could donate pokemon to one of these Pal Parks, then I wouldn't have to worry about how many pokemon I catch for Professor Birch. Unlike a certain someone, I don't like keeping pokemon I don't plan to raise locked up in storage. So this way, after Professor Birch gets whatever data he needs, I can donate the pokemon to a Pal Park for a trainer who WILL raise it to catch!"_

"Both Pal Parks will be open within a month or two, right now we're running advertising campaigns such as this one to raise awareness. Hopefully, by doing this, we will have pokemon stocked for the opening day." The attendant explained to her. "Of course, special arrangements will have to be made if you wish to donate pokemon. We have sign-up sheets here, or you can apply online at the Pal Park official website."

"Hmm..." May looked at the display table and, sure enough, there was a stack of sign-up sheets in front of the poster board. "I'll just take a sign-up sheet then." May said, taking one of the papers. "Thanks for the info!" May then continued past the Pal Park display only to bump into Phoebe and Sidney.

"Hey! Find something interesting?" Sidney asked her, noticing the paper in May's hand.

"Oh, uh, something like that." May replied. "What about you two?"

Sidney shrugged. "Well, we did come across someone developing a 'Mystic Ball'. Apparently works better than an Ultra Ball on ghost, dark, and psychic-type pokemon. Seemed pretty neat, but we don't have much use for pokeballs these days."

"Neither of us have any plans to catch more pokemon in the near future." Phoebe added. "Anyway, I think its time we got something to eat! Did you open that envelope that Devon's president gave you?"

"Oh, right, that..." May reached into one of the pouches on her fanny pack, taking out the envelope that was handed to her. There was nothing written on the outside of the envelope so she opened it up to find a card with Devon's logo on it. "Huh? What's this?" May wondered aloud, then noticed there was a note in the envelope as well. She took it out and read it aloud.

"Dear May, thank you for all your help. Included in this envelope is a meal card for any restaurant or dining facility within Rustboro. Any meals bought with that card will be charged directly to Devon, but it will expire within seven days. Feel free to eat to your heart's content at our expense until then!" May blinked in disbelief and looked at the card in her hand.

"Wait, so with this..."

"That's right, free meals for a week!" Sidney said, grinning.

"Still mad at us now?" Phoebe asked, smiling at her. May considered for a moment.

"Hmph...I'll let you off the hook, but you're paying for your own meal!"

"Heh, didn't want you to use your card for our meals anyway. That's for you to use." Sidney said.

"One week of free meals..." A wide grin spread across May's face. "Totally makes up for today and yesterday being lousy!"

"Shall we take a break for now to get something to eat and come back later?" Phoebe suggested. May nodded enthusiastically. The three of them then left the trade show together to grab a bite to eat somewhere in Rustboro.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Sanctuary Island, Rina arrived back at the island after spending the night at her place in Pewter City. She arrived as Melany was pulling a trolley out of the hq's storage. It was loaded up with bags of pokemon feed which Melany's Alakazam, Sceptile, and May's Gardevoir would help distribute. Flying in on her Dragonite, Knight, Rina came in for a landing next to them.

"Only stayed for the one night? I thought you might stay home longer than that." Melany said as Rina hopped down off Knight's back.

"Well, I didn't want to leave you here to do everything yourself." Rina said, smiling sheepishly.

"Its no trouble at all, really." Melany replied, waving it off. "I have three pokemon helping me out, two can teleport, and one can move extremely fast."

"That's true..." Rina said, looking between the three pokemon and then looking up at Knight. "Knight, you can fly pretty fast, why don't you help distribute the food too?"

Knight shrugged. "-Nothing better to do with my time, really.-"

"-Just think of it as training.-" Sceptile said to Kngiht. "-I always take as much as I can, so its like weight training for me.-"

"-Or you could just do it for the sake of your trainers.-" May's Gardevoir said, sounding mildly annoyed.

"-Their reasons matter not, so long as they do it.-" Alakazam said to her.

"So how did it go with Lance?" Melany asked Rina.

"Well...umm..." Rina fidgeted a bit, glancing down at her belt which now held only five pokeballs. "Lance kinda just...took the Ursaring. Said it wasn't safe for me to have..."

Melany raised an eyebrow. "Lance did that? What, is he trying to make up for being a poor foster father by being overprotective now in spite of the fact that his daughter has two phantom pokemon and a Dragonite under her command?"

"Well, he did say he'd catch me a few pokemon to make up for it!" Rina said, smiling sheepishly. "He'll have them sent directly to my account. The Ursaring would have to be evaluated to see if its even possible to be tamed or if it lost its mind entirely at this point. Also said something about sending an expedition to Mt. Silver. He doesn't think having Misdreavus, Golbat, and Ursarings all living in the same cave is a good idea."

"Well, hard to argue with that logic. About the pokemon in the cave I mean." Melany said with a shrug. "Anyway, you said a few? So Lance is sending you more than one pokemon to make up for taking Ursaring?"

"That's right!" Rina said, nodding enthusiastically. "I'm sure Lance will find all sorts of neat pokemon for me! I think he said he'd try to get three at least."

"Don't suppose you're getting the Master Ball you used back, are you?" Melany asked her.

"I don't know, actually, but I'm not too worried about that." Rina replied.

"By the way, did you hear what happened in Johto earlier?" Melany asked her. Rina shook her head. "Well, turns out one of the gym leaders challenged the new Elite Four. The one with the four weirdos. Clair was the name I think."

"Clair?" Rina blinked. "She's Lance's cousin. Which sort of makes her my cousin...or however that works. I heard she was going to challenge them, how'd that go?"

Melany was quiet for a moment, taking a quick glance at the three pokemon standing around her. Sceptile, Alakazam, and Gardevoir were all eager to get the feeding done with. "Well...she lost. Horribly."

"Whaaaaat?! To them!?" Rina said in shock.

"Lost against the first opponent, who happened to be that pervert Alexander." Melany said to her. "It was a 3-0 win for Alexander. I watched a video of the match. His psychic pokemon were pretty damn powerful and it still seemed like he was pulling the punches."

"Wow...I guess I completely underestimated those guys." Rina said, blinking in disbelief. "I would have thought they'd be much weaker than the Kanto Elite Four since they don't seem that serious, but they have to be a lot stronger to beat Clair like that. She's always been able to hold her own against the Elite Four."

"Yeah, they're surprisingly tough." Melany replied. "Anyway, want to help feed the pokemon? These three are getting antsy from all our talking."

"Right, ok!" Rina smiled and nodded in agreement. "Work now, talk later!"

Rina and Melany set about rationing out the pokemon food into separate dishes, which was then delivered by the pokemon. For Rina and Melany, it was back to work as usual on the island. At least, until their next interruption...

* * *

Author's Notes: One thing that differentiates the pokemon anime from the pokemon games is that the professors aren't given the task of giving beginner trainers their first pokemon in the games. You'll notice that, in each game, there's differing reasons for why the professor gives you your first pokemon. Even in the first gen games, Professor Oak was just handing out his own pokemon to his grandson and his grandson's rival so he could make them run errands for him (ie. fill the pokedex). Lazy old coot...

Anyway, to that extent, I thought it'd be neat to turn the Pal Park into a place where trainers would just try to catch random pokemon and have it essentially exist as a service to beginner trainers. Since it runs on 'donations', its not like anyone is likely to send off a strong, fully-evolved pokemon to the Pal Park. But its an option for kids who can't catch their own. I'm debating doing something similar with the pokewalker, though that's a harder one to work out. While I intend to follow the game plots less, I'd like to include more stuff from the games. GTS will probably make an appearance too, pretty much serving the same function. Trading with people anywhere in the world.

Oh, Ashley's dress is mostly inspired by her manga counterpart, Blue/Green (depending on whether you go by Japanese or English names) though its just a black dress anyway you look at it. Kinda odd that someone would wear a black dress out adventuring, but in the manga she spends more time being a con artist than adventuring. It isn't until Yellow that she really starts getting active.

Next chapter, an unexpected guest shows up at the island. The fact that they're getting a guest at all should be unexpected enough. Rina's three new pokemon will appear in that chapter as well. Anyone wanna take a stab at what three they might be? Come on! There's not THAT many pokemon out there!


	15. Chapter 15: From Sinnoh With Love

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company. You know, standard disclaimer stuff. Now that that's out of the way...**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Fifteen**

**From Sinnoh With Love**

Date: 1 year, 4 months after the Sanctuary's completion.

_"No matter how many times I see that pokemon, I don't think I'll ever get used to it."_ Melany thought, sitting and staring at a bird pokemon feeding nearby. It was a flightless bird with tan-colored feathers, rounded body, long legs, and a long black neck. If that was all the bird pokemon was, though, it wouldn't have bothered Melany at all. The problem? It had two such necks with the heads to match. One head ate pokemon food from a dish, one pellet at a time, whilst the other kept watch.

_"Its like something out of a nightmare...only its real, standing here right before me. I've seen every legendary pokemon in the regions of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. They're all here, in fact. I even own some strange pokemon myself, such as Magneton and Porygon. But this is still the most bizarre creature I have ever laid eyes upon..."_

"If Debbie is still bothering you, then you'd probably lose your mind if you ever saw a Dugtrio." Rina, standing nearby, said to Melany. The two of them had just finished another round of feeding on the island, the empty trolley between them. "I never saw one in person, but its a three headed pokemon and lives underground. No one has ever actually seen a Dugtrio's entire body before, only the heads."

"I never, ever, EVER, want to meet a Dugtrio." Melany said, shuddering. "Knowing that this...thing grows an extra head when it eventually evolves is bad enough. The fact that you seem to be used to such pokemon makes me wonder about the Kanto region..."

"Umm...well...I guess there are a lot of pokemon in Kanto that fuse with other pokemon or gain more heads when they evolve." Rina said, scratching the back of her head. "I never realized that before now..."

"Well, the other two pokemon that Lance sent seem normal anyway." Melany said, looking at the Rattata and Omanyte eating nearby. Rina's newest pokemon had been sticking pretty close to their trainer ever since arriving. Pippi was with them, eating as well. "Though...I can't help but wonder about his choices. Even I know Rattata are pretty much everywhere in Kanto and Johto."

Rina shrugged. "I thought he'd send me a cool dragon pokemon or something too, but then again I do have Knight and Lance probably just would have given me a Dratini in that case anyway."

"The Omanyte is an interesting choice though. Its a fossil pokemon, right?"

"I think that was Brock's idea." Rina said to Melany. "He digs up fossils at Mt. Moon every now and then, so he probably gave one to Lance to have it revived. I can't see Oscar being entirely Lance's idea, anyway. He didn't put much effort into catching these I don't think..."

"Hmm...Oscar and..." Melany looked at the Rattata. "Rick, right?" Rina nodded. "You know, you're the only one out of the four of us to actually give nicknames to her pokemon..."

Rina frowned and reached over to lightly tap Melany on the head with her knuckles. "Everyone should give their pokemon nicknames!"

"Hey! Its not like I'm the only one at fault here!" Melany shot back, then shrugged. "I don't know what I'd nickname them anyway."

"That's just an excuse..." Rina mumbled, shaking her head sadly.

"In any case, Lance has probably been pretty busy lately with all the things going on with the leagues over there." Melany said to her. "He IS the Elite Four Champion of Kanto now, afterall."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Rina smiled lightly. "I'm happy with the three he sent me anyway."

_"Those three DO seem to suit her somehow."_ Melany thought, looking at the pokemon and then back at Rina. "So how do you plan to handle their training anyway? They're not exactly strong yet, the Rattata especially."

"I don't think I have to do anything special, and Rick already managed to scare off Ebil with just one attack." Rina pondered for a moment, resting her finger against her chin. "What was it Rick said that time? I think it was, 'Snakes, like any other pokemon, have a crippling weakness to a Hyper Fang to the jugular.'" She giggled quietly. "He's already pretty smart."

"-Same goes for humans, only messier.-" Rick the Rattata, overhearing the conversation with his sensitive ears, muttered to himself while eating. Pippi paused for a moment and looked over at Rick, her right ear twitching.

_"I don't know about that guy, he seems to have a mean streak..."_ She thought.

"Well!" Melany stretched, leaning back against the trolley. "Looks like our chores are pretty much done for another day. Any plans for today, Rina?"

"Just the usual, really. What about you? More studying?"

"Yep, gotta be ready for the Junior Professor exam." Melany quickly rolled onto her feet and stood up. "Only about half a year left before I can write it."

"I think you're overdoing it a bit..." Rina said, narrowing her eyes at her.

"Better safe than sorry." Melany replied. "Anyway, I'll catch up with you later then."

"Yep. Don't burn yourself out again." Rina said to her.

"I'll try not to." Melany started on her way toward the headquarters but, before she could get very far, she felt the ground under her feet start to shake. "Wh-what the?!"

"Melany?" Rina looked back just in time to see Melany thrown aside as a five-foot tall clay statue burst out of the ground, spinning like a drill and sending dirt and rocks flying everywhere. "Whoa! What is that thing!?" Rina cried out. "Is it some kind of pokemon?"

"Its a Claydol, a literal clay doll pokemon..." Melany muttered, slowly sitting up and tossing off the dirt that had landed on her. Melany regarded the pokemon curiously, looking at the hole in the ground. "How the heck did that thing get all the way out here though?"

The pokemon's head remained stationary as its body suddenly turned toward Melany.

"We can figure that out later!" Rina called out. She looked back at her pokemon and motioned for them to attack. "Rick! Debbie! Pippy! Oscar! Go!" The four pokemon stopped what they were doing and rushed toward the Claydol, stopping only a few feet away as they waited for further commands. The Claydol's body turned again, this time coming to face the group of pokemon.

"It's a ground and psychic type." Melany said to Rina, then looked around. "Where the hell are Alakazam and Gardevoir? They're supposed to be the first response to this kind of thing!"

"Don't worry! We've got this one!" Rina assured her. "Everyone, attack at the same time! Oscar, aim for the head with Water Gun! Pippi, Debbie, Rick, attack the body with Slam, Peck, and Flame Wheel!"

Melany looked back at Rina and raised an eyebrow. "Flame Wheel?"

Rick took a moment to surround his body in flames, and then all four pokemon went on the attack. Oscar fired a shot of water at Claydol's head, hitting it directly in the middle of one of its eyes. Pippi, Debbie, and Rick managed to hit at the same time. They charged toward Claydol and jumped. Rick spun into a cartwheel in the air, literally looking like a flaming wheel, and smashed into Claydol's lower body while Pippi struck with her tail and Debbie's two heads pecked at it. The combined effort threw Claydol back, knocking it to the ground, and the three pokemon that charged it landed in front of the hole.

"Did...did we get it?" Rina wondered aloud as the Claydol laid unmoving.

"-I think we knocked it out!-" Pippi said excitedly.

"-We did it!-" Debbie's two heads cheered simultaneously.

"-Me help!-" Oscar, the Omanyte, added.

_"Not bad for a group of inexperienced pokemon, Pippi aside."_ Melany thought, finally getting back on her feet and dusting herself off. _"Still...how did that thing even get in?"_

While Melany was pondering this, a man with silver hair and wearing a breathing aparatus popped his head out of the hole and looked around. "Hmm...this doesn't look like Mossdeep at all..." Rina, her pokemon, and Melany all stared in disbelief at the man as he took out a rolled up map and spread it out against the side of the hole. "Ah...knew I should have taken that left turn at..."

"STEVEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Melany yelled, angry and confused.

"Ah...would you believe I got lost?" Steven said to Melany, rubbing the back of his neck in embarassment.

"Steven?" Rina blinked and looked over at Melany. "Do you know this guy?"

"That's my brother." Melany grumbled. She pointed a finger accusingly at Steven. "And I don't buy that for one second! Somehow you knew EXACTLY where you were going, didn't you?!"

"You say I knew, but add 'somehow'?" Steven chuckled. "My dear sister, you seem to think I shouldn't know of this place. How, then, would I have come here on purpose?"

"I didn't think that far ahead..."Melany muttered.

"Wait, so that was your brother's Claydol we knocked out?" Rina asked Melany.

"Knocked out?" Steven looked over at Rina and her pokemon, then at his Claydol. He chuckled quietly. "I'm afraid you've done nothing of the sort..." After saying this, Steven's Claydol hopped right back up off the ground, its head spinning and arms pulling into its body. It was as if nothing had happened to it at all. Rina's pokemon all fell over in exasperation.

"That Claydol's tough." Rina whimpered.

"Well! Perhaps it is for the best that I ended up here." Steven said to them, pulling a large brown sack out of the hole and placing it on the ground. "I looked into those evolutions you mentioned and found a few things that might interest you and your friends."

"Yeah, he definitely came here intentionally. And I know I didn't tell him anything about the Sanctuary. I told him it exists, but definitely not where it is or anything about the barrier." Melany let out a sigh. "Well, guess I should call up the others then..."

"Mind if I use your shower then?" Steven asked, finally climbing out of the hole. "Travelling underground gets rather dirty, though that's to be expected."

"Whatever, knock yourself out." Melany replied offhandedly. She took out her pokenav to call up May and Ashley while Steven headed into the headquarters to take a shower.

_"This will be great!"_ Rina thought, smiling to herself. _"It'll be like one big reunion, but I wonder what those evolutions they were talking about are?"_

* * *

Melany called up May and Ashley and, as it turned out, both trainers were on the desert pass north of Mauville. They arrived at nearly the same time as well, May flying in on Flygon and Ashley on Aerodactyl. Ashley arrived only a few minutes ahead of May due to having a faster pokemon, but May was able to see Ashley ahead of her for part of the journey.

"Ashley! Were you in the desert too?" May asked once she landed outside the headquarters and jumped off Flygon's back. Rina and Melany were there too. The only pokemon there aside from May's Flygon was Pippi. The rest of Rina's pokemon had run off on their own for a while, as had Ashley's Aerodactyl. Ashley and May were both wearing 'capes', though May's was actually a bedsheet, and were covered in sand.

"Yeah, I was taking time off from hunting for pokemon to see if I could get any pictures of that 'Mirage Tower' phenomenon." Ashley replied, blinking as she looked at May and noticed the sand. "What were you doing in the desert?"

"Catching pokemon!" May replied, grinning widely. "Cacnea, Baltoy, and Sandshrew. Managed to catch all three of them even though they were all a complete pain."

"Don't you have enough pokemon already?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Its for Professor Birch's research, I've found a way to keep catching pokemon without having to worry about raising them all."

"I see..." Ashley said, staring blankly. Even though it was something she was supposed to do for Professor Oak as well, she didn't quite understand May's enthusiasm.

"If you're looking for Mirage Tower, you should probably just give up." Melany said to Ashley.

"Oh?" Ashley smirked at her. "Don't tell me you, of all people, are skeptical that it exists."

"Oh no, I know quite well that it existed." Melany replied casually. "It collapsed after May and I retrieved a pair of fossils from it."

Ashley was stunned by the revealation. "It...collapsed...?"

"Oh yeah, I remember that now." May said, thinking back. "I caught a Trapinch there, and now its evolved into this guy!" May smiled and patted Flygon on the back. Flygon smiled to itself, reflecting on his time in the tower. Even when the tower was not visible, it was still there as a Trapinch. Flygon liked to consider himself to be the tower's guardian back then.

"You two picked up fossils there, right? Did you get them revived?" Rina asked May and Melany.

"Actually, our Armaldo and Cradily were revived from those fossils." Melany said to Rina, smiling slightly. "I guess you couldn't really tell just by looking, could you?"

Rina shook her head. "Not at all..."

"By the way, where's Steven?" May asked, looking around. "You said he was visiting the island, didn't you?"

"He's taking a shower." Melany looked toward the headquarters. "Since around when I called you." Looking at May and Ashley, she added, "Not breaking any of YOUR records yet, mind you. Just what DO you two do in the shower that takes so long anyway?"

"Hey, its not like I'm in the shower the whole time I'm in the bathroom." Ashley said, placing her hands on her hips. "A girl needs to look her best, but I don't expect someone like you to understand that!"

"What the?! I'm a girl too!" Melany shot back, clenching her fists.

"Hehehe...I just kinda, almost fall asleep in the shower..." May quietly admitted, breaking the tension building between Melany and Ashley as both looked at her in disbelief.

"You...what?" Melany said.

"I would have figured you just spent a lot of time getting ready too." Ashley said to her, glancing over May's body. "You're young, but, well, you do have a fairly mature-looking body for your age."

"I can't help it though." May said, blushing slightly and casting her gaze downward. "The feel of the water gently..."

"May, we get it." Melany said, cutting her off before the mental image of May in the shower could get too vivid in her mind. May looked up at Melany curiously, wondering why she stopped her all of a sudden.

"It almost feels like a waste having the two bathrooms though." Rina said, smiling sheepishly. "Me and Melany don't spend much time in the bathroom at all."

"-You ALL worry too much about whether or not you're clean!.-" Pippi said, folding her arms in front of her and then looking away from the group. "-And somehow I end up getting thrown into baths because of it...its not fair! I can use Surf, isn't that good enough?!-"

"Ah, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Steven asked the girls as he exited the headquarters and closed the door behind him. "I apologize for taking so long, but I needed to wash my suit as well."

"Nothing important." Melany said. "Anyway, everyone's here now. May and Ashley just got here anyway."

"Ah, good. Then I will get straight down to business." Steven walked past the girls, heading toward the hole where he left his sack. May was about to say something to him until she noticed it.

"Don't tell me he tunneled all the way here!" May said in shock.

"I'm more interested in how he knew where the island was to begin with." Melany said, glancing back at Steven. "Its not like anyone else knows about this island, and I certainly didn't tell him, so how did he..." When Melany turned her head to face the girls again she saw the guilty looks on each of their faces.

"Please tell me you haven't been going around telling people about this island..."

"What difference does it make if we have?!" May said, angered by the accusation. "There's a barrier around this island, no one can get in without a legendary pokemon and we've got them all here!" Melany merely jerked a thumb back at the hole in response.

"Apparently, there's holes in our impenetrable wall." Ashley noted grimly.

"That's two so far, actually." Rina said. "So now we know you can still get to the island if you tunnel the whole way and if you have an artifact that has the same aura as a legendary pokemon."

"At this point I wouldn't be too surprised to find Teleport would work to move in and out as well." Melany added, nodding to Rina. "We'll have to test that later with Alakazam I suppose, but the more I think of it the more it seems like Teleport could bypass the barrier entirely simply by not having to go through it."

Rina shook her head sadly. "You'd think we would have thought of that already, but we kept focusing on how someone might get through the barrier directly."

"Ah, Teleport, perhaps my Claydol could have just done that instead." Steven said thoughtfully, back from retrieving his sack.

"You're not even trying to pretend you got lost anymore, are you?" Melany asked, glaring at him. Steven shrugged.

"I was merely thinking I would not have gotten lost if I just teleported to Mossdeep in the first place." He said, still in denial. He then dropped his sack on the ground. "Let's see now, I have something in here for each of you I believe..."

Steven first approached May and reached into the bag, retrieving a clear stone with a glowing light in the center. The stone had the appearance of having the morning sun itself trapped within. Steven handed the stone to May. "With that stone, you should be able to evolve Roselia into a new pokemon known as Roserade. I learned that from one of the gym leaders in Sinnoh."

"So this is how Wally made his Roselia evolve then!" May grinned to herself as she admired the stone in her hand.

"You said you had something for each of us...does that mean we each have a pokemon that isn't fully evolved?" Ashley asked Steven.

"That's right, you all have at least one pokemon that can still evolve." Steven replied, then took another item out of his bag and approached Ashley. "This is called a razor fang." He said, handing the fang to her. "A Gligar training at night, while holding that item, will evolve into a new pokemon known as Gliscor."

"...Only at night, though?" Ashley asked for confirmation. Steven nodded. "So then...what's Gliscor like when compared to Gligar?"

"I can't say for sure." Steven replied, shaking his head. "I was able to find out how it evolves, but I have never seen a Gliscor myself. It was Melany who searched for what new evolutions existed, I merely sought out necessary items and methods during my trip to Sinnoh."

"Speaking of which, I'm surprised you're back this soon." Melany said to Steven. "Couldn't find anything of interest?"

"On the contrary, it seems I will need to make preparations for a longer stay in the region." Steven reached into his bag and took out a covered cd and a red guard, then handed the objects to Melany. "I'm sure I don't need to explain those to you."

"Not at all." Melany replied, taking the objects and quickly pocketing the CD. She raised an eyebrow when she realized she was only given two items. "Steven, isn't something missing? Or did you not find anything about Magneton's evolution?"

_"Magneton can evolve too?"_ May thought, blinking. _"Wally has a Magneton though...I wonder why his wasn't evolved?"_

"Well, as it turns out, Magneton's evolution is rather...region-specific. That is, there's a mountain in Sinnoh that is somehow distorting the magnetic field in that area." Steven said to Melany. "In other words, Magneton can only evolve at Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh."

"That figures." Melany grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Guess I'll have to get to Sinnoh someday then, but I'm too busy for that these days..."

After Steven handed the two items to Melany, Rina noticed that the sack seemed rather empty. "Umm...don't you have anything for me?" Rina asked, not wanting to be left out.

"Hmm?" Steven looked toward Rina and immediately took notice of Pippi. "Ah...come to think of it, I do have plenty of thunder stones if you would like to evolve your Pikachu."

"That's not what I meant actually..."

"-I don't think I could use my light ball anymore if I evolved anyway.-" Pippi said, rubbing her unusually white cheeks.

"I'm afraid all I have for you is information." Steven said to her. "Your Tangela can evolve into a new form by tapping into an ancient power. I'm not sure how, but I believe it might involve literally teaching your pokemon that technique."

"Oh...so I need to teach Tangela the Ancientpower technique, then?" Rina said, rubbing her chin in thought.

Melany chuckled. "That should be easy enough, there's plenty of pokemon around here that technique. Just about every legendary pokemon knows it."

"Hey! Since Geri is a grass-type, maybe she should try learning from Celebi?" Ashley suggested. "I haven't actually met with Celebi since capturing it and I have to wait until night to evolve Gligaro anyway."

Rina nodded enthusiastically. "Sure! Celebi and Geri are both probably hanging out around the trees we just planted anyway."

"Eh? You two planted trees?" Ashley asked, pointing at her in disbelief.

"Some of the pokemon prefer to live in or near trees, so we're trying to grow some now." Rina replied.

_"Those two really do keep busy here..."_ Ashley thought.

"Well, that's all I came here for." Steven said to the girls, tossing the empty sack aside. He started to walk away from them while taking a pokeball from his belt.

"That's it? You're just dropping off a few items and leaving?" Melany asked, raising an eyebrow.

Steven shrugged slightly and replied without looking back at her. "Well, I do have a few things to attend to while in Hoenn. I would like to pay another visit to Meteor Falls at least and I have other items to sort through." Steven held out the pokeball he grabbed, releasing his Claydol again. Placing one hand on Claydol, he turned and waved to the girls.

"So long, everyone! I will send you my bill later!"

"Bill?" The four bewildered girls said simultaneously.

"Claydol, Teleport!" Claydol's eyes flashed and the two were gone in an instant, disappearing before anyone could question Steven's final comment.

"I hope he's joking..." Melany muttered, shaking her head.

"Well, no point worrying about that right now!" Ashley said, then turned and nodded to Rina. "Ok, want to show me where those trees are?"

"Right, follow me then." Rina replied, then went off with Ashley toward the northern edge of the island where a small field of trees had been started. Pippi went along with them as well.

"Hey, where would I find Roselia?" May asked Melany.

Melany took an old pokenav from her belt and held it up toward the sky. "Porygon, Tri Attack." She said, looking up as if talking to her pokenav. Three beams fired out from the device as one, a triangular-shaped beam of blue, red, and yellow. Shortly after, May's Gardevoir appeared before them. Seeing her trainer, Gardevoir smiled and bowed to her.

"-A pleasure to see you again, Lady May.-"

"Ok, that was a neat trick I guess." May said, blinking. "But about Roselia..."

"Gardevoir should know where it is, she'll teleport you to it." Melany explained, lowering her hand. "I get her and Alakazam to help a lot with running the island as a storage facility due to their ability to teleport."

"Oh, now I get it!" May grinned and reached out to grab Gardevoir's hand, surprising her pokemon. "Ok, Gardevoir, take me to Roselia!"

"-As you wish.-" Gardevoir replied, then closed her eyes and focused. Within seconds, the two vanished.

"And that leaves me alone to go evolve my pokemon." Melany looked at the objects in her hand, holding her pokenav in one and a protector for Rhydon in the other. "Think I need to use the PC for both of these anyway." Melany started toward the main door of the headquarters but stopped a few feet away and turned around to look at May's Flygon.

"...You're still here?" Melany asked it. Flygon nodded. "Ah...well...any chance you could do anything about that since you're here?" She asked, pointing at the hole. "Its...rather deep. If anyone fell in it, they'd be gone for good."

"-I could try...something I guess?-" Flygon said, sounding a bit unsure of himself as he looked at the hole in the ground.

"I'll leave that up to you then, but its not like you have any obligation to listen to me." Melany said. She then headed into the headquarters to handle her pokemon's evolution.

* * *

It took only a few minutes for Ashley, Rina, and Pippi to reach the field of trees where Celebi liked to spend its time. It was a relatively small field, slightly over a hundred square feet. All the trees looked like small shrubs as well, a sign that they had been planted only recently and likely trees bought from a garden shop. Celebi, Mew, and Jirachi could all be seen floating around the trees until they spotted Ashley and Rina approaching. Celebi immediately flew out to greet them.

"-Excuse me! Hi! You're the one that rescued me, right?-" Celebi said, happily greeting Ashley. Ashley looked to Rina, expecting a translation.

"Celebi's asking if you're the one who rescued her." Rina said to Ashley, smiling. "It seems happy to meet you."

"Oh!" Ashley smiled and nodded to Celebi. "That'd be me. Sorry this is the first time we're meeting though." Celebi replied to Ashley in a cheerful tone, which Rina then translated for her.

"Celebi says it doesn't mind because it met Jirachi and Mew here and became good friends with them." Rina said. She then waved to Jirachi and Mew.

"All we have in common is psychic powers, but we all get along in spite of that." Jirachi said happily. "But its not like this is the first time I met Celebi."

"-Any friend of Jirachi's is a friend of mine!-" Mew added.

"Well that's good to hear." Ashley said, smiling. "In any case, Celebi, do you know an attack called Ancientpower? We were hoping a grass pokemon with the technique could teach it to Rina's Tangela."

Celebi nodded. "-Oh, sure!-" It then turned to Rina. "-I can do even better than that, though! I can teach the technique almost instantly!-"

"You can?!" Rina said in shock. Celebi nodded.

"-If I take the pokemon way back in time with me, I can teach it the technique in the past. Then, I can come back to almost the exact time I left. To you two, it would be as if the pokemon instantly learned Ancientpower even though I would have spent so much time training it myself.-"

"Wow! So you're saying that you can use time travel to do a lot of training almost instantly by doing it in the past?"

"-If she can do that, then can't she train Ashley's pokemon at night sometime in the past?-" Pippi suggested. Rina nodded to her in agreement.

"Ashley, if Celebi takes Tangela and Gligaro back in the past..."

"Then, to us, it would seem like no time has passed at all and both our pokemon would be evolved." Ashley nodded and smirked. "Good thinking!"

Ashley and Rina took a pokeball from their belts, releasing Gligaro the Gligar and Geri the Tangela next to Celebi.

"-YAY! Friends!-" Geri cheered happily, latching onto Celebi with several vines. Celebi squirmed uncomfortably in Geri's grasp.

"Ok, you two will be going with Celebi for training." Ashley explained to them, then held out her hand to Gligaro to hand him the razor fang. "Gligaro, hold onto this. If you train at night while holding this, you should evolve into a stronger pokemon."

"-Excellent!-" Gligar gave a toothy grin as he grasped the fang in his pincers. "-All the better to smite evildoers!-"

"-I can't believe I'm saying this now, but you two hold on tightly...-" Celebi said to Gligaro and Geri. Geri was already doing just that and Gligaro reached out to grab Celebi's arm with his free claw.

"Ok, good luck you two! Hope this doesn't take too long!" Rina said to them.

"-Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it!-" Celebi assured them. A white glow began to surround the three pokemon and then they vanished.

Seconds later, two pokemon reappeared where they had been standing. The first looked much like Gligar, only with a darker colored body and more menacing features. It looked much more like a bat overall. It was standing on its long tail, one claw burried in the other pokemon. The other pokemon was a seven foot mass of vines, with thick vines forming arms ending in three red fingers. The pokemon also had legs and feet now, but very short compared to the rest of its body.

"Wow...that really did take no time at all." Ashley said, blinking in disbelief. "But...where's Celebi?"

"-Help...me...-" Celebi wheezed, its voice coming from inside the mass of vines. Gliscor drew its claw out of the pokemon, holding Celebi by the arm. Even after pulling Celebi out, three vines remained tied around it. Celebi used a Psychic attack to force them to release it, at which point Gliscor did as well. "-Thank you...-" Celebi mumbled.

"That...did Geri really..." Rina said, pointing a shakey finger at Geri. She could barely speak she was so shocked by what Geri had become.

"-FRIENDS! ME MISS YOU!-" Geri bellowed loudly, holding out her large arms.

"-Enough of your nonsense, you must behave more civilized!-" Gliscor scolded Geri. Geri managed to stop herself from hugging Rina and frowned.

"-Awww...-"

"Wow, Gligaro's looking pretty cool now!" Ashley said, grinning.

"-I am the justice that strikes in the dead of night, stopping evildoers in their tracks!-" Gliscor folded his arms and wings in front of himself. "-I am known as...Gliscoro!-"

"He wants to be called Gliscoro now..." Rina informed Ashley, though her gaze remained on Geri.

"Gliscoro..." Ashley thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Makes sense I guess. If he's Gligar, then Gligaro. Gliscor, then Gliscoro, right?"

"-A name fitting of a warrior of justice!-" Gliscoro said proudly.

"Umm...Celebi? About Geri?" Rina asked, pointing at Geri's new form.

"-Geri got really, really big all of a sudden.-" Pippi noted, then moved closer to Rina to whisper to her. "-I really don't want to be hugged by her now...-" Rina nodded in agreement.

"-It took several days to finally get her to understand what I was trying to do.-" Celebi said with a sigh. "-She's not all that bright. Her new form is what she became when she finally tapped into the ancient power within herself. You could say its a prehistoric form of her species in a way I think.-"

"-I wish I could time travel.-" Mew said, pouting, then looked at Jirachi expectantly.

"I don't grant wishes anymore." Jirachi reminded Mew. Mew groaned sadly.

"Well, now that our pokemon have new evolutions, you know what we have to do, right?" Ashley said, grinning at Rina.

"Umm...you want to battle? Gliscoro against...whatever Geri is now?" Rina asked.

"That's right! That's the best way to test out their new capabilities!" Ashley said, nodding in agreement.

"I guess she's right." Rina said to herself, then looked up at Geri. "Umm...Geri? How about it? Feel like battling?-"

"-Okay!-" Geri replied happily.

Rina nodded to Ashley. "Ok, let's battle with our new pokemon then!" She said, trying to sound enthusiastic about battling with Geri's new form.

Ashley and Rina quickly spaced themselves apart and faced each other. Gliscoro moved with Ashley, standing on his tail a few feet in front of her, and Geri moved with Rina to stand in front of her as well. Pippi and the other three legendary pokemon moved to the side of the battle scene to watch.

Before the battle could start, Ashley took out her pokenav to check her Gliscoro's new capabilities. A grin crossed her face as she read over Gliscoro's list of techniques. _"I almost feel sorry for Rina, Gliscoro has so many attacks to strike a grass-type pokemon with that its not even funny! This match won't take very long at all!"_

_ "I don't like the way she's grinning..."_ Rina nervously thought to herself. _"I wish I had my pokenav so I could check Geri's attacks. I'll have to stick with what I know she knows."_

"Gliscoro, take to the air and move in to attack!" Ashley called out. Gliscoro pushed himself into the air, using his tail like a spring, and then glided toward Geri.

_"Ok, we'll have to take whatever attack it is that Ashley's throwing at us, but after that we'll have a clear shot."_ Rina thought.

"Now! Dive in with Poison Jab!" Ashley called out as Gliscroro approached Geri. Gliscoro spread out his wings to slow his descent and turned his body, stretching his tail out toward Geri. As he fell down toward her, he struck tail first with venom coating the twin stingers at the tip. Geri cried out and stumbled back a step as Gliscoro's tail penetrated her vines just to the right of her face. The tail remained stuck there, though, and Gliscoro found itself hanging upside down from Geri's body.

"Eh?! Hey, let go!" Ashley cried out.

"-I concur! Unhand me, fiend!-" Gliscoro growled, struggling to remove his tangled tail.

"Wow! The coat of vines on Geri's body is really thick now!" Rina said, giggling to herself. "All those vines dampen physical attacks against her, and now your Gliscoro is helpless too."

"-I like vines!-" Geri giggled.

"-That coat of vines isn't the only thing about that pokemon thats dense.-" Celebi noted grimly, turnign to the other three pokemon with her. "-I know it seems like no time passed at all for any of you, but it took me over a week to teach her to use Ancientpower without her getting distracted by shiny rocks.-"

"-That...that is pretty bad.-" Pippi said, rubbing the back of her neck with her paw.

"Lucky for us, a week is nothing." Jirachi said, folding its arms. "Must have been rough for Gliscoro to be there the whole time, though."

Celebi shrugged. "-He just smashed up a bunch of rocks.-"

"-Where were you three training anyway?-" Mew asked out of curiousity.

"-Mt. Mortar, if you could call it a mountain back then.-" Celebi replied.

"Ok, Geri, now hit it with Sleep Powder!" Rina called out to her pokemon. With Gliscoro's head still lying against her, Geri only had to release a small cloud of powder directly into Gliscoro's face. The pokemon was instantly put into a deep sleep.

_"Looks like I should have thought through what technique I used a bit more, but using Gliscoro's long tail to attack through Geri's vines seemed like a good idea at the time."_ Ashley thought, sighing. _"I really underestimated their thickness..."_

_ "Now all I have to do is set up Sunny Day and..."_ Rina blinked and then looked up into the cloudless sky. _"Wait...no...Rayquaza's presence on this island means it wouldn't work anyway! I'll have to try something else!"_

"Geri, release Gliscoro and plant a Leech Seed on it!" Rina called out. Geri released her grip on Gliscroro's tail after a few seconds, letting it fall to the ground. A seed was latched onto the tip of the tail and already draining energy from Gliscoro's body.

_"I thought for sure she would use Sunny Day. Solarbeam is her best attack afterall."_ Ashley thought, folding her arms and staring at Rina as if trying to pierce her thoughts. _"That look just now...she was definitely planning to use Sunny Day, so why isn't she? Is there some reason she can't?"_

"I hate battling like this but...Geri, Poison Powder!" Rina called out. Geri held one arm out over Gliscoro and sprinkled a purple, poisonous powder onto it. Gliscoro inhaled the powder while sleeping, spreading the poison throughout his body. Gliscoro woke up coughing and, realizing his proximity to Geri, quickly rolled away and then pushed off with his tail to glide toward Ashley. He dropped down a few feet in front of her and quickly turned, angrily waving a claw at Geri.

"-Villainous wench! I, the great Gliscoro, will not fall to your underhanded methods!-"

"I don't need him calling them underhanded too..." Rina sighed. Geri was completely undisturbed by the accusation, though.

"Ok, time to get back in this!" Ashley said, sounding confident that she could still manage to win. "Gliscoro, use Swords Dance!" Balanced on his tail, Gliscoro crossed his arms in front of him. A blue aura surrounded his body, taking the shape of a sword, as he focused his power.

"Geri, Growth!" Geri focused her power as well, forcing energy through her body. The energy caused her body to grow slightly, increasing her special attack power. _"Ok, let's hope Geri can take another hit. She seems pretty tough now, but Ashley is taking this battle pretty seriously too.."_

"Geri won't get the chance to attack, we'll finish this now!" Ashley called out to Rina. "Gliscoro, X-Scissor!"

"-Now you shall meet your end, villain!-" Gliscoro used his tail to propel himself into the air and glided toward Geri, moving across the field very rapidly despite not moving under his own power. When he approached Geri, he crossed his arms and dropped down. He opened them again when he was directly in front of her, slashing his claws across her body in an x-shaped pattern. Geri cried out in pain and staggered back, nearly falling over while Gliscoro landed perfectly on his tail.

"Geri, now! Sleep Powder!" Geri quickly straightened up and then made a sweeping gesture toward Gliscoro with one arm, sending a cloud of powder in his direction. Gliscoro felt himself becoming drowsy as the powder reached him.

"-Not...again...-" Gliscoro groaned, falling to the ground as he fell into a deep sleep.

_"I thought for sure a powered-up X-Scissor would finish it!" _Ashley thought in disbelief. _"But then again...I guess Leech Seed took care of most of the damage from Poison Jab, and it does seem like its a lot tougher now..."_ Ashley sighed. _"Guess I underestimated it a bit. I thought for sure Gliscoro could win with all those techniques it knew."_

"This time, we'll be finishing this! Geri, Solarbeam!" Geri raised both hands into the air and began drawing sunlight into her body. Because there was no Sunny Day or similar effect, she would need time to charge the attack. Her body began to glow as the sunlight as gathered.

"-Feels all warm and tingly.-" Geri said, giggling. She brought her arms together, pointing the red tips out toward the sleeping Gliscoro. The glowing stopped and then Geri fired a beam out from the palms of her hands. The beam of concentrated sunlight struck Gliscoro while he slept, searing his body and destroying the Leech Seed that was stuck to him. It made no difference in the end, though, as Gliscoro was completely unconscious by the time Geri was finished. He slept through the entire blast.

"I guess that's that." Ashley said with a sigh as she recalled Gliscoro. "If I knew what I was dealing with sooner then I would have powered up from the start, but I thought I could get in a good hit with Poison Jab."

"Hehe, even I was surprised by how much Geri could take!" Rina said to her. "She's a lot tougher now."

"-YAY! I won!-" Geri cheered, raising her arms and hopping around happily.

"Well, just as long as you don't let this win go to your head." Ashley cautioned Rina with a smirk. "You're good, Rina, but you're not quite on my level yet."

"Hmph, I'm not that much weaker." Rina said, pouting. Ashley smiled at her.

"You've changed."

"Huh?" Rina blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Back when we were travelling together, you always worried that you were weak." Ashley said to her. "You sound pretty confident now, though..." She grinned mischeviously. "So how far have you and Melany gone?"

"How far have I...." Rina blinked several times and then gasped when it finally clicked. "ASHLEY! WHAT DOES THAT EVEN HAVE TO DO WITH MY CONFIDENCE?!"

"Still so naive..." Ashley smirked and folded her arms in front of her. "I don't hear a denial, though."

"You'll just ignore it anyway." Rina said, pouting. "You know very well that me and Melany are just friends! You're just being a big meanie!"

_"Hard to deny that since I know who she's really interested in."_ Ashley thought, smiling to herself. _"Maybe I should stop teasing her for once and see about setting those two up..."_

"What are you smiling about now?" Rina asked, glaring at her suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing." Ashley replied. "Why don't we go see May and Melany's newly evolved pokemon, hmm?"

"Fine. But you're up to something, I know it!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the headquarters, May, Gardevoir, and Roserade teleported in front of the building. May's Roserade looked exactly like the pokemon Wally happened to be using against her in their last match.

"Ok, we'll wait out here for Melany now." May said to her pokemon, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't wait to battle her with you, Roserade!" Roserade nodded in agreement, sharing her trainer's enthusiasm.

"-I wonder which new pokemon Melany will use for the battle, then?-" Gardevoir thought aloud, realizing Melany would have two new pokemon to choose from. Almost immediately after Gardevoir said this, Melany emerged from the headquarters.

"Oh, done already?" Melany asked May when she spotted her and Roserade. "I wonder how Rina and Ashley are doing then..."

"Nevermind that! Let's battle with our newly evolved pokemon!" May said to Melany. "Come on! Its been a while since me and you had a chance to battle, Mel!"

Melany thought for a moment and shrugged. "True enough. Ok, I'll battle you with my Rhyperior then." Melany replied, then distanced herself from May to give them room to battle.

_"Now that's a stupid mistake, ground and rock against a grass type."_ May thought with a smirk, then pointed out in front of her. "Ok, Roserade, go!" Roserade nodded quickly and then jumped out in front of her trainer, crossing her bouquet-tipped hands and preparing herself for battle.

"Rhyperior, go!" Melany called out, holding out a safari ball and releasing her Rhydon from its pokeball. The pokemon was wearing the protector around her neck when she emerged and immediately a white glow surrounded her. Her body grew a foot taller and became much more built, the protector expanding to cover her body more like a crude suit of armor. When the glowing stopped, a fully evolved Rhyperior stood before Melany. With a larger frame, club-like tail, and darker body color, it looked like a much tougher pokemon.

"Hehehe...this won't take long!" May said smugly. "Roserade, put it to sleep with Grass Whistle!" Roserade placed both her bouquet-hands against her face and blew, creating a soft and gentle noise that soon lulled Melany's Rhyperior to sleep.

_"Putting my pokemon to sleep instead of attacking outright when she has the type advantage? That's so not like her."_ Melany thought. _"Then again, I wonder if her Roserade even knows any powerful grass techniques? She might be worried about having such a fragile flower going up against a tough pokemon like Rhyperior..."_

"Ok! Now attack with Magical Leaf!" May called out. Roserade spun, releasing several sharp leaves from her body. The leaves shot through the air and immediately homed in on the sleeping Rhyperior, slashing across her body.

"One more, that should finish this!" At May's command, Roserade spun around again to fire several more leaves at Rhyperior. The leaves slashed across her sleeping form, but she let out an almost unnoticeable grunt as the last few leaves hit her.

"Stay down." Melany silently ordered her pokemon. Rhyperior didn't let on that she was awake.

"Too bad, you should have used your other pokemon." May said to Melany with a smug grin. "You of all people should know not to use a rock and ground pokemon against a grass type!"

"-The result was inevitable.-" Roserade said cheerfully, spinning around like a ballerina in celebration of her victory.

"May, have you considered the possibility...that this one is far tougher than you realized?" Melany said to May.

"Oh? Then why's it still down?" May asked her in a taunting tone.

"This is why. Rhyperior, Rock Wrecker!" Melany's Rhyperior suddenly bolted onto her feet, taking a chunk of the ground in her hand as she did. Rhyperior quickly took aim at the spinning Roserade and fired with such force that the recoil knocked her onto her back.

"WHAT THE?!" May shrieked in shock. "Roserade! Look-" May tried to warn her pokemon, but it was too late. By the time Roserade realized she was under attack, the large chunk of rock smashed her in the face. Being caught off guard by such a frighteningly powerful technique, Roserade was knocked out instantly and dropped to the ground.

"No way! I...I lost?!" May said in disbelief, then quickly shook her head. She pointed an accusing finger at Melany. "You! You cheated somehow!"

"Afraid not." Melany said to her. Her Rhyperior slowly started to get back on her feet, her exhaustion evident in her sluggish movements. "Normally, you'd have been right. Two Magical Leaf attacks would have knocked her out...when she was a Rhydon."

"So what? Did it lose one of its types when it evolved?" May asked, both angry and curious.

"Not quite." Melany replied. "Rather, Rhyperior is simply that much tougher than a Rhydon owing largely to her new ability. The 'solid rock' ability reduces damage from attacks that she would be weak to. In other words, you would have needed one more attack to take her down."

"Ok...so how did you knockout my Roserade so easily then?!" May shot back.

Melany shrugged. "You and your pokemon let your guard down, that's how." She explained. "Not only that, but Rock Wrecker is an attack that hits as hard as a Hyper Beam against a pokemon that's relatively frail physically even when she isn't defenseless."

"...So I lost because I underestimated a new pokemon again, right?" May sighed and sat down on the ground, shaking her head. "You'd think I would have learned by now..."

"Well, you did surprise me a bit in that battle by putting Rhyperior to sleep instead of attacking from the start." Melany said to her. She then walked up to her pokemon and patted her on the back. "Get a good rest, Rhyperior. I'll probably need your help to fill in that hole Steven left for us." Rhyperior grunted in response.

"If it stayed asleep just a little longer I could have won, too." May said, pouting. "So you got lucky! That's all!"

"Oh...you two battled too?" Melany and May looked and saw Ashley and Rina walking up to them. "Looks like Melany won, too." Rina added, noticing Melany's pokemon was the one still standing.

"A dark day in pokemon history, indeed. The champions of Kanto and Hoenn have lost." Ashley said jokingly. Rina stopped near Melany, but Ashley kept going and headed toward the headquarters. "I'm going to take a shower and get this sand off me." She stopped and glanced back at Melany, resting her hands behind her head. "I'll try not to take too long."

"Makes no difference to me." Melany replied, shrugging. Ashley continued on, heading into the building.

"Guess I need a shower too..." May said with a sigh, getting back on her feet. She took Roserade's pokeball in her hand and recalled her, then looked at the pokeball for a moment. "Wonder if I should take Roserade with me when I go..."

"Not staying either?" Melany asked her. May shook her head.

"I need to make sure a monster doesn't destroy the place I'm staying at." May replied with a sigh. "Anyway! I'm going to go take a shower too, and you better not try to spy on me or anything!" She said, pointing a finger at Melany.

"Even if I planned to, do you think Rina would let me?" Melany replied, pointing at the blonde-haired girl next to her.

"...Rina, keep an eye on her." May replied, then headed into the building to take her shower.

"I really don't get why May doesn't trust me." Melany said, then looked over at Rina. "Rina, have I once tried to peek in on you?"

Rina blinked. "Didn't we shower together once?"

Melany scratched her head. "What kind of events lead to that again? I know if I suggested that it would have come across perverted no matter what you thought of me..."

"It was a lot of things I think." Rina replied, thinking back. "I know we only had enough water for one shower and it was night...but we also had our backs to each other, now that I think about it."

"That still sounds like a scene from a bad adult fiction though." Melany said with a sigh.

"Umm..." Rina looked at her curiously. "You know that...how?"

Melany blushed and rubbed the back of her head. "Err...well...you see..." She quickly glanced around nervously, her gaze quickly settling on the hole nearby. "Oh, hey, wonder if Flygon made any progress!" She said, then went over to see for herself.

_"...Maybe I shouldn't lower my guard around her afterall."_ Rina thought, then frowned in frustration. _"Wait...she said I was cute once, but wouldn't try anything while in the shower with me? Was she lying about that? Or is it because she just thinks of me as a friend?"_ She thought about it for a moment, then ran off after Melany.

"Hey! Melany! Don't avoid the question like that! I need an answer!"

* * *

Author's Notes: In Melany's defense, she's on an island in the middle of nowhere with pretty much nothing but a computer for her entertainment. She's probably gotten into a few things that 13-year olds shouldn't be. You know, like most 13-year olds.

I find myself using Bulbapedia a lot lately. Not for any actual game info, mind you, but to get a better idea of how different attacks look/function. A lot of trivia too. Did you know, for example, that Aerial Ace is actually named for a samurai technique in the original Japanese? A swords maneuver based on a swallow's dive, I believe. Thus why every pokemon that learns it either flies or has claws.

About Doduo...did anyone notice how weird 1st-gen pokemon are in general? Can you imagine the shock on the face of a player whose first pokemon games were either 3rd or 4th gen and, after seeing mostly normal, animal-like pokemon for most of the games they're suddenly confronted by a bird with two heads? Similarly, how many pokemon seem to have the same designs in the first gen? Rhydon, Nidoking/Nidoqueen, and Kangaskhan are all very similar in design. Interesting pokemon, mind you, but kinda lazy.

On that note, count the number of pokemon that evolve by gaining extra heads, fusing with their own species, or fusing with another species. And the number of pokemon with other oddities, like Cubone and Dugtrio. Dugtrio especially I'm finding hard to write because its so difficult to stick such a pokemon in any sort of 'realistic' setting. Its like it couldn't exist anywhere outside of a video game where it never has to worry about terrain or anything like that possibly exposing it. This would be why the only Dugtrio thus far was Giovanni's. I didn't have to worry about where Dugtrio's claws are or anything like that in a one-shot battle on ground-like terrain. After pokemon like Dugtrio, Magnemite, and Electrode in the first gen alone, its fairly safe to say that anything can be a pokemon.

On another note, anyone ever look at Tangrowth's Pt/Hg/Ss sprite? It seriously looks like its stoned. Its just holding its hand over its head and staring at it...

This chapter turned out really long somehow...


	16. Chapter 16: Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company. You know, standard disclaimer stuff. Now that that's out of the way...**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow**

Date: 1 year, 4 months, 2 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Only two days after an unexpected arrival from Sinnoh, leading to each of the four girls getting at least one new evolution. Rina's Tangela evolved into a Tangrowth, Ashley's Gligar evolved into Gliscor, May's Roselia into Roserade, and Melany's Rhydon into Rhyperior.

Now, two days later, Rina found herself outside the pokecenter in Viridian City with Pippi once again by her side as she used to be when they were journeying together. Rina was looking around impatiently, searching for Ashley. She had told Rina to meet her at the pokecenter in Viridian City, but now was nowhere in sight.

"Why would she call me all the way out here and then not show up herself?" Rina wondered, growing impatient.

"-Maybe she got lost?-" Pippi suggested.

"Like she would..." Rina said. Placing a hand over her eyes and looking up, Rina searched the sky for any sign of Ashley arriving on one of her many flying pokemon. After a few minutes, a figure finally came into view. "Finally, about time they...eh?" Rina squinted at the figure in the distance. It seemed to her as if there were actually two of them coming in from the direction of route 22.

"-What's wrong?-"

"Oh, nothing." Rina sighed, lowering her hand. "Two of them, from that direction...must be someone else."

"-Oh.-" Pippi frowned, her ears drooping. "-She really is slow to arrive...-"

"I know..." Rina looked up again toward the figures in the distance, still curious though she was sure it wasn't Ashley. Soon, though, they were close enough for Rina to make out the two pokemon. "That looks like Pidgeot and...a Charizard?" Rina blinked. "The Pidgeot could be Ashley but then...who would be riding the Charizard?"

"-Hey...doesn't Red own a Charizard?-"

Rina shook her head. "There's no way he would be here, he's busy training at Mt. Silver..." Rina continued to watch the Pidgeot and Charizard coming toward her, their trainers still out of sight on their backs. Only when they landed a few yards away and their trainers hopped off did she finally see them.

"EH?! WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?!" Rina shrieked, pointing at Red in shock. The two trainers were, indeed, Ashley and Red. Red rubbed the back of his neck and turned away when Rina yelled at him.

"-I...I didn't honestly think there was any possibility it was him either.-" Pippi said, blinking in disbelief.

"Oh? Is that how you're going to greet him?" Ashley said, grinning. "I would have thought you'd be happy to see him."

Rina blushed and looked away. "Its...its not that I don't want to see him...I just..."

"Started off on the wrong foot, or so I hear." Ashley said. Rina and Red both remained silent. Ashley turned her head to look back at Red. "Red...didn't you have something to say to Rina about that?"

"Red did?" Rina blinked and looked toward him, but Red was still remaining silent and had his back to her.

_"Come to think of it, even I don't know what happened then..."_ Pippi thought, looking between the two. _"Rina said she met with Red after I was knocked out but she wouldn't even tell me what happened between them..."_

Ashley cleared her throat loudly. "AHEM! I said..."

"Alright, I get it already..." Red muttered. Letting out a sigh, he slowly turned to face Rina. Finding her eyes locked with his, he immediately averted his gaze before finally speaking. "Rina...since that time...I've been thinking..."

"Y-you have?" Rina stuttered. She could remember all too well what she had said to him that day.

"I'm...not sure how I feel. Not then, not now." Red said, still not looking at her as he spoke. "I've never given any thought to my life outside of being a trainer. I only ever cared about pokemon. Its still all I tend to think about. I never thought about having a girlfriend, getting married, or starting a family..." Finally working up his courage, Red shifted his gaze toward Rina and his eyes met her's. Rina could feel her heart pounding and her face turning Red, the timing of his gaze and what he was saying couldn't have been worse for her.

"Rina, I didn't come here to ask you out..." Red narrowed his eyes and glanced over at Ashley. "I didn't plan to come here at all, in fact, but someone threatened to end any discussion about whether or not I'd ever have kids if I didn't."

"Oh? I wonder who would do a thing like that?" Ashley said, pretending to be innocent in the matter.

"-Wow, I thought for sure that was what he'd be building up to though.-" Pippi thought, scratching the back of her head.

"I'll get to the point." Red said, turning his gaze back to Rina. "Rina, after all this time, I don't really know you. For that reason, I want to start off as friends..."

_"Friends?"_ Pippi blinked and slowly turned her head to look back at Rina. _"Rina must be disa...huh?"_ Pippi stared in disbelief when she saw the look on Rina's face. She thought Rina would be disappointed, but she seemed happy and yet on the verge of tears.

"Ok, I'm fine with that..." Rina said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"-Rina? I thought you wanted more than that?-" Pippi asked her.

"Well, that's more than I had, actually..." Rina quietly replied.

"Also, it's ok with me if you want to stop by Mt. Silver while I'm training." Red said, then shrugged. "Its not like I can stop you anyway, really."

"O-Ok! I will!" Rina said, nodding enthusiastically.

"-Do we have to?-" Pippi grumbled, remembering their last adventure to Mt. Silver where she was knocked out by a wild and vicious Ursaring.

"Oh? And what about me?" Ashley asked with a teasing grin.

"You..." Red narrowed his eyes at her. "Please stay very far away from Mt. Silver..."

Ashley pouted. "Aww, don't be like that!"

"-Human relationships are too damn complicated.-" Ashley's Pidgeot muttered, ruffling his wings. "-If they want to mate then they should just judge each other by their head feathers...if they had any.-"

"-In the end, size is what matters.-" Red's Charizard said, nodding in agreement. "-Show the female charizards a nice big tail flame and they'll be all over you.-"

"There. I said what I came here to say. Can I go now?" Red said in annoyance.

"Hmph." Ashley planted her hands on her hips. "Well! That's a little rude, don't you think?"

"I think dragging me here against my will was more than a little rude." Red shot back.

"I think I have to side with Red on that one." Rina said, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh? So now that Red will be your friend you don't need me anymore? Is that it?" Ashley turned her back to Rina and sniffed sadly. "You...you were like a little sister to me, Rina, but...sniff...I guess you don't need 'big sis' anymore..."

"Ashley, that isn't how it is at all and you know it!" Rina pouted. "'Big Sis' is too cruel..."

"Anyway!" Ashley quickly spun around to face her and Red. "I thought, since we're in Viridian City anyway, we could stop by the gym!" She smiled at Red. "I mean, when was the last time the three of us had a chance to be together like this?"

"Ashley, there's a good reason we haven't gotten together. None of us get along anymore." Red said, glaring at her again. "As of today, anyway."

"Oh?" Ashley tilted her head to the side and folded her hands behind her back. "Did something happen today to make you hate me?"

"You threatened me and dragged me all the way from Mt. Silver to Viridian City for the sake of a conversation that could have taken place whenever Rina and I happen to meet up again."

"But for all we know you could have been staying there for a good three years or more." Ashley said flatly. "Besides, don't you two think your little rivalry has gone on long enough?"

Red shrugged. "The only one that really cares about that anymore is Gary."

While Ashley and Red talked, Rina knelt down to whisper to Pippi.

"Looking at them, its hard to believe any of them were ever friends, huh?" Rina said to her, smiling sheepishly. Pippi nodded in agreement.

"-I wonder if they acted like this back then?-"

"Probably not." Rina said. "I mean, you don't act like you used to when you were still a Pichu."

Pippi nodded. "-I changed a lot when I evolved...I wonder what would happen if I decided to evolve into a Raichu?-" Pippi pondered for a moment, imagining herself as a Raichu. For some reason, she pictured herself suddenly becoming very bossy and mean as a Raichu. As she pictured this, a realization dawned on her.

"-Come to think of it, I've never even met a Raichu...-"

"What about Lt. Surge's Raichu?" Rina said, but Pippi shook her head.

"-I only watched that guy battle, I didn't even get a chance to talk to him.-" Pippi sighed. "-I have no idea at all how a fully evolved member of my own species even acts! Why weren't there any Raichus in Viridian Forest?!-"

"Well, most Pikachu in Viridian Forest aren't very strong because there's nothing but bugs there, right?" Rina said to her. "Also, you'd need a Thunder Stone..."

"Hey! Rina!" Ashley suddenly called out to her. "We're going to the gym now, come on already!"

Rina looked up and saw that Ashley and Red had both recalled their pokemon and were ready to go. Red was looking more than a little reluctant, but Ashley had somehow managed to rope him into going to the gym while Rina wasn't paying attention. She imagined it involved threats, though.

"Coming!" Rina called back, standing back up. Rina and Pippi joined up with Red and Ashley and headed straight for the gym with Red taking up the rear. He contemplated escape but knew there was nowhere he could truly run to.

When the girls and Red arrived at the gym, in the northern end of the city, they spotted a gray-haired old man in a brown coat standing outside and peering in through one of the front windows. In one of his hands he carried a white shopping bag that seemed to contain nothing but candy and sweets.

"Eh? Who's this?" Ashley wondered aloud as they approached. The old man, overhearing them, turned and smiled.

"Ah, don't mind me." The old man said, waving to them. "If you're here to challenge the gym then by all means go right on in. However, he currently has a challenger, so you will have to wait."

A grin spread across Ashley's face. "Gary has a challenger, does he? Looks like we timed this just right!" Ashley headed straight for the gym's front door with Red following, also finding himself suddenly more eager to go inside. Only Rina and Pippi hesitated as Rina glanced between the old man and the gym door.

"Isn't anyone else worried about the suspicious old guy carrying candy?" Rina whispered nervously, eying the bag in the man's hand. Realizing where she was looking, the old man reached into his bag and smiled as he took out a candy bar and held it out to her.

"Perhaps you would like a rage candy bar, young lady?" He asked her.

"NO THANKS!" Rina shouted back, quickly running inside the gym.

"-What's with her all of a sudden?-" Pippi wondered before bolting after her. Having been refused, the old man shrugged and proceded to remove the wrapper from his bar.

"More for me, then."

* * *

Arriving in the gym, Ashley and Red found the battle already underway. Or at least, it seemed to be. Both Gary and the challenger had their pokemon out, Gary leading off with a Machamp against the challenger's Zubat. The gym was still exactly as Giovanni, the previous gym leader, had left it. Wooden flooring around the perimeter of the gym, with an open ground field in the center for battles.

"You two." Gary muttered under his breath when he saw them. "Look, if you two don't mind, I'm in the middle of something here." He said, glaring at them.

"Oh no, we don't mind at all!" Ashley replied cheerfully. She tugged at Red's arm and pointed to the bench on the left side of the gym. "Come on, Red, let's sit down over there." Red nodded in agreement and the two of them walked over and sat down on the bench.

"That's not what I had in mind." Gary grumbled, clenching his fist. Shortly after, Rina ran into the gym. She quickly looked around and then bolted straight for the bench with Pippi tagging along. _"Who's that kid again?"_ Gary wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"Can we get on with this?" Gary's challenger said impatiently. The challenger was a young boy, age ten. Wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue jeans, he was almost completely unremarkable. Except, of course, for the red beret placed on his head.

"Hmph. Pretty impatient." Gary said to him. "Just what's the hurry?"

"I have other things to do." The boy shot back. "I'm only here to prove a point, that anyone can win at pokemon regardless of how long they've been at it."

"Where would he get an idea like that?" Ashley wondered aloud.

"Well, May and Melany were both beginners..." Rina said to her.

"Someone might think the three of us are too, even though we already had a lot of experience from Oak's training." Red said, shrugging.

"Come to think of it..." Ashley glanced over at Rina. "You're pretty much a beginner too, Rina, but you're able to hold your own against elites and even me."

"So I guess we're all bad influences, huh?" Rina said, smiling sheepishly.

"-Thats what it sounds like.-" Pippi said, nodding in agreement.

"So, a beginner who thinks he can go up against not only a gym leader, but a gym leader who was once champion?" Gary smirked. "Tell you what, since this is a three on three match, I'll give you five minutes. If you can survive even five minutes against me, I'll give you the badge."

"Hmph." The boy smirked. "You'll regret making it that easy for me."

Ignoring the boy, Gary took his green-colored watch and held it up. He quickly set a timer for five minutes and held the watch in his hand, index finger hovering over one of the buttons. "Time starts..." Gary pressed the button, starting the timer. "Now! Machamp, Stone Edge!"

"Zubat, fly higher and-" The boy was suddenly cut off by the sound of the gym floor cracking. One stomp from Machamp's foot caused a large, sharp rock jutted up from the ground under Zubat and strike it from below. Zubat shrieked and fell to the ground, unconscious. "Wh-what?!" The boy stammered in disbelief. "No way!"

"Get used to seeing that. The same will happen to your next two." Gary said to him.

"Not a chance!" The boy shot back, recalling his Zubat and quickly taking another pokeball in hand. "Magby, go! Smokescreen!" The boy called out his attack while simultaneously sending out his pokemon. As soon as Magby, a small, red pokemon with a duck bill and a bumpy head, appeared on the field, it released a cloud of black smoke from its mouth to hide it from view.

"Sorry, but there's no hiding from my pokemon. Machamp, Stone Edge." Gary said calmly. Machamp twisted its body, striking the ground with both left arms. Magby cried out in pain as a large, pointed rock suddenly shot up out of the ground, stabbing the small fire pokemon and tossing it into the air. Magby fell to the ground next to the spike, barey letting out a whimper. The challenger gritted his teeth and recalled his pokemon.

"Lickitung!" The challenger called out, releasing his final pokemon. A fat, pink pokemon with a large tail and long tongue appeared on the field.

"Dynamicpunch!" The challenger's Lickitung had little time to react at all before Gary's Machamp was upon it. Machamp raised one of its four armss back and slammed its fist into the Lickitung's stomach, creating a violent explosion upon impact that threw Lickitung back through the air and into the far wall of the gym. Lickitung was knocked out instantly, just like the rest of the challenger's pokemon.

"Finished and with a minute to spare." Gary said smugly, placing his watch back around his wrist. "Come back in a few years and then maybe your pokemon won't drop in one hit." The challenger hung his head in shame, recalling his Lickitung without looking back at it.

"Can't be too bright if he was challenging Gary with those pokemon." Ashley rolled her eyes. "I thought it might be interesting to watch someone challenge Gary but this guy was just completely floored."

"I hope he's not too upset." Rina said.

_"Why...why wasn't I able to damage his pokemon!?"_ The boy wondered, clenching his fists in frustration. _"Those other trainers...they all beat gym leaders on their first try, so why can't I do the same?"_

"Now, do you understand, Lucas?" A male's voice said. Everyone looked toward the gym door where the old man who was watching from outside the gym now stood. "Now do you understand how difficult the road to becoming a successful pokemon trainer is?"

"It doesn't make any sense!" Lucas yelled. "Those three Pallet trainers got their first badge within only days of becoming trainers, and trainers in Hoenn did the same thing! Therefore, any trainer should be able to beat a gym leader!"

_"The other gym leaders would be pretty insulted if you said that in front of them."_ Gary thought.

The old man shook his head. "Those trainers you mention were all exceptional in their own ways, either having prior battle experience before officially becoming trainers, a family history of strong trainers, or even just unusually talented. They are by no means the standard. A young trainer such as yourself with no prior battle experience could not hope to mount a challenge against someone like Gary."

Lucas remained silent, contemplating his mistake. Should he have focused on avoiding the Machamp's attacks? Could he avoid them? Were there any techniques he could have taught his pokemon to turn the tides? While he wondered this, the old man turned to leave.

"My offer still stands, Lucas." The old man said, then stepped out of the gym. Lucas remained only a moment longer before chasing off after him.

"Who WAS that guy?" Rina asked once he was gone. Ashley and Red both shrugged.

"Beats me." Ashley said.

"That was Professor Rowan." Gary said, glancing over at the group with his arms folded and one eye closed. "He's been working with Professor Oak for at least a year before we left Kanto, how could you two have NOT met him before?"

"Hey, its not like we took note of every guy working in Oak's lab." Ashley said with a shrug.

"In any case, what the heck are you all doing here?" Gary then asked in a bitter tone.

"Well..." Ashley stood up, grinning as she took her camera in hand. "I thought I'd get a picture since we're all together!"

Gary shook his head. "That doesn't explain at all why we're all together in the first place."

"That's beside the point!" Ashley replied, waving him off. "Now put that Machamp away and let's get a picture already!"

"Well, you heard her." Gary said to his Machamp as he took its pokeball in his hand. "Sorry that challenger was so pathetic. Maybe next time you'll get a decent workout." Machamp nodded and Gary recalled it. Red looked at Gary with a surprised expression when he heard him talking to his pokemon.

_"That didn't sound like Gary at all."_ Red noted mentally.

"Ok! Everyone to the back of the gym, then!" Ashley ordered cheerfully. Red slowly got up from the bench and made his way to the back of the gym and Gary turned, tossing his cape behind him, and moved to the back as well. The two of them then stood side by side, facing away from the wall, but said nothing to each other.

"Rina, you too!"

"Eh?!" Rina looked at Ashley in disbelief, "But I'm not...well...one of you." She blushed slightly and rubbed the back of her neck. "I mean you're all..."

"It makes no difference, get over there!" Ashley said, this time in a more commanding tone that caused Rina to bolt up without any hesitation and run to the back of the gym. She hesitated for a moment when she was standing in front of the two boys but then shyly moved to stand next to Red.

_"Now...how to do this? It'd help if I had a tripod."_ Ashley thought as she stared at the three. Meanwhile, Pippi ran along the wall of the gym until she was directly across from Rina.

"-Rina! Now's a good time to talk to him!-" Pippi said to her. Rina blushed slightly and nodded in agreement, but Gary spoke up before she could.

"So how'd she manage to drag you into this? Last I heard, no one even knew where you were." Gary said to Red, his eyes still on Ashley as she wondered what she could stand the camera on to take a picture.

"The professor knew, and he told at least one person." Red replied, glancing down at Rina.

"The blonde chick?" Gary asked, raising an eyebrow. Rina cringed at the choice of words.

"She's Rina, a...friend of mine." Red pulled his hat down over his eyes slightly as he said this. Gary, noticing, smirked and folded his arms.

"You've changed. Last I saw you, you only considered pokemon to be your friends."

"And what about you?" Red said, glancing over at him. "I don't think I've ever seen you talk to a pokemon like that before now."

Gary shrugged. "Guess that means we've both changed." Gary looked at Ashley and smirked. "Hey, Red, remember that promise Ashley made when we were kids?"

"Which promise is that?" Red asked, raising an eyebrow. Rina and Pippi looked over curiously, both wondering if Gary might be mentioning a specific kind of promise they had become familiar with.

"The marriage promise, of course." Gary replied with a grin. Rina and Pippi's eyes lit up and they exchanged glances, giggling to each other.

"-I remember seeing that in those shows, don't the two who made the promise always manage to end up together?-" Pippi said to Rina. Rina nodded quickly in agreement.

"Hey, what are you two giggling about?" Ashley asked, walking toward the group. "What have you three been talking about while I was busy?" Rina and Pippi remained silent. Red and Gary looked at each other, grinning, then stepped toward Ashley.

"Ashley...Red and I have been thinking, and we think its time you made a decision!" Gary said to her.

"Wh-what?" Ashley took a step back in surprise. Somehow, the scene playing out seemed familiar to her but she couldn't remember how.

"We think its time you decided just which one of us you intend to marry!" Red said, his usual expressionless face looking quite serious for a change.

"WHAT?!" Ashley shrieked, clenching her fists, "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I'D MARRY EITHER OF YOU?!" She yelled at them. Gary and Red grinned and stood their ground.

"Oh? But thats not what you said nine years ago." Gary said to her.

"Nine years ago?" Ashley thought back, trying to remember what Gary was referring to. As the scene from nine years back started to play out in her mind, Ashley felt a chill go through her body. When she was six, the two boys confronted her with the very same question. A question she responded to with the naive enthusiasm that could be expected from a six-year old girl.

_"I want to marry both of you!" _The words rang through Ashley's head and she felt her face turning beet red.

"You...you two are the worst!" Ashley yelled at them. Gary and Red snickered, realizing she finally remembered. "I was six, you jerks! There's no way I would say something like that now!"

"Pippi I wonder...if maybe Ashley promised to both of them?" Rina said, crouching down next to her.

"-But what would happen then? Can a female human mate with two males?-" Pippi wondered, watching the three.

_"I'm. Not. Answering. That."_ Rina thought, eye twitching nervously. Letting out a sigh, she stood up and approached Ashley.

"Ashley...why don't I take that picture?" Rina suggested to her.

"Eh?" Ashley blinked and then shook her head. "But I want you in the picture too, Rina."

Rina shook her head. "We can get that picture another time, when you have a better set-up! Besides, you know thats not the real reason you came here! You wanted these two to see how much they've both changed, right?"

"Umm...well..." Ashley looked off to the side, rubbing the back of her neck in embarassment. Gary and Red looked at each other in disbelief and then back at Ashley.

"Ashley, is that true?" Red asked her.

"Of course it is!" Rina said to them. "She knew all along it wouldn't be easy for her to take a picture in the gym since its an open, empty room with nowhere to set up a camera. So she used it as an excuse to get the two of you talking."

"W-well...some of that might be true..." Ashley sheepishly admitted.

"Ok, now, you three hurry up and get lined up!" Rina said impatiently, taking Ashley's camera out of her hand. Gary and Red quickly moved back into position, standing next to each other, but Ashley hesitated for a moment and looked at Rina curiously.

"Since when were you able to figure me out like that?" Ashley said to her.

Rina winked at her. "Since you told me just now. Now why don't you go stand between your two boyfriends there?"

"Very funny." Ashley muttered, rolling her eyes. She walked over the two and, in spite of her reluctance, stood between Red and Gary and waited patiently for Rina to take the picture.

_"Even if that's the real reason, its something she'll definitely want a picture of, I think."_ Rina thought, smiling to herself as she stood back and held up Ashley's camera to take the picture. _"I know from talking to Ashley that its been a long time since the three of them got along like this."_

* * *

Rina took the picture for Ashley, Red, and Gary, but the four of them didn't spend much time in the gym after that. After repeated use of Stone Edge in his last battle, Gary had to get the rocks removed before anymore trainers showed up. So the rest of them left almost immediately after. About ready to part ways, they stopped outside the gym before setting off.

"Even if I was threatened, I'm glad I came down from Mt. Silver today." Red said, looking at Ashley. "It was brief but...I felt like the three of us were closer today."

"Well I'm glad you don't hate me too much for it, but it would have been worth it just to see you and Rina start to get along." Ashley said, smiling sheepishly. Rina blushed and turned away.

"You didn't have to put it like that." Rina mumbled.

"So what will you do now, anyway?" Ashley asked Red.

"Well...I would like to keep training, but I'd also like to find a strong trainer to battle." He paused for a moment and then added, "Stronger than you or Gary, if possible."

"Oh? Think you've surpassed us?" Ashley teased.

"-Training at Mt. Silver, I wouldn't be surprised.-" Pippi said, shuddering.

_"A strong trainer?"_ Rina thought for a moment and the image of a certain Claydol, getting back up effortlessly after a combined attack from four pokemon knocked it down, flashed through her mind.

"Umm..." Rina turned to address Red. "I might know someone, actually..."

* * *

Author's Notes: That 'someone' Rina mentioned at the end is definitely not someone you'd know, nor will chapter 18 be dedicated to that battle.

I initially forgot about Lucas and Rowan, but decided to give both of them an appearance in the sidestories (specifically, in Kanto) since Rowan is supposed to be in Kanto at this point in time. In fact, as mentioned, Rowan would have been in Kanto studying with Oak prior to the Kanto Saga itself. The relationship between Lucas and Rowan will be covered in more detail in the Sinnoh Saga.

Next chapter will coincide with this one and show what Melany and May were up to at the time.

Edit: Ok, somehow I switched from Ashley arriving on Zapdos to Ashley arriving on Pidgeot. Changed it to just be Pidgeot. Thanks goes to Naryfiel and Biodragon for pointing that out to me.


	17. Chapter 17: One Wet Day

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own pokemon and am in no way affiliated with Nintendo, GameFreak, or Pokemon Company. You know, standard disclaimer stuff. Now that that's out of the way...**

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Seventeen**

**One Wet Day**

Date: 1 year, 4 months, 2 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Two days after the big meeting at the Sanctuary, Melany found herself riding on Skarmory near Lilycove City. Her and her pokemon were high in the sky over the water, Skarmory flapping his wings to stay airborn near the entrance to Team Aqua's old hideout. They had been in that spot for several minutes without landing, and clouds gathering overhead suggested they should seek shelter soon.

"This is definitely a large part of the reason why May raided this base without my help." Melany muttered to herself, staring down at the water below. Getting into the base from the air would mean diving toward that water, which didn't exactly thrill Melany in the least.

"-Can we just go already?! I can't hover here forever, ya know!-" Skarmory said, squawking impatiently.

"I know you're eager to land but give me a moment to work up the courage for it, ok?"

"-Courage? I'll show you courage!-" Without warning, Skarmory suddenly dove straight down toward the water in front of the hideout's entrance. Melany screamed for him to stop but Skarmory paid no attention to her. Down he went, purposely pulling up too late. His body skimmed through the water and Melany shrieked, almost losing her grip and falling off as her legs and Skarmory's body up to his wings.

Skarmory didn't stay in the water long, of course. Only as long as his momentum would carry him forward through it. The brief splash-down seemed like an eternity to Melany, though, and she was almost completely soaked when Skarmory finally pulled up out of the water. From there, Skarmory flew into the hideout and touched down on the dock. Melany immediately rolled off Skarmory's back and fell to the ground panting.

"-Congratulations on passing phase one of Skarmory's 'Get Over Your Stupid Fear of Water' course. Please be sure to join me for phase two, complete immersion.-" Skarmory said, at which point Melany took his pokeball from her belt and recalled him in annoyance.

"Hate that bird." She grumbled under her breath. Slowly standing up, she placed the pokeball on her belt and looked down at her wet clothes. The vest and khaki shorts she wore felt heavy, but not nearly as heavy as her water-logged shoes. She was surprised she didn't lose them. "I just hope water is the only thing I'm soaked in right now..."

Hearing the splash of a wave behind her, Melany yelped in shock and quickly moved further away from the edge of the dock. "Why couldn't Team Aqua build their base somewhere drier?" Melany wondered aloud, letting out a sigh. Straightening up again, she finally took a look around the dock. There were a few crates and containers around, some of which looked like someone had gone through them, and cranes for loading the containers onto ships that would dock inside the hideout.

"Team Magma got an elaborate hideout in a volcano, Team Aqua and now May get a hideout in a giant rock in the sea, I get a shoddy wooden building on an island of legendary pokemon." Melany pondered for a moment. "I think the jury will be out for a while over who got the worse deal there, but in any case..." Melany looked down at her wet clothing. "I wonder if May could lend me something to wear..."

Melany looked around again and spotted the corridor at the back of the dock area, the only way into the rest of the old base. She went into the corridor but didn't get very far before the corridor split off in two directions, with a door straight ahead that lead into a monitoring room. On the wall near the door was an clear-plastic wall mount that would have once held a map. Now, there was nothing.

"Great. I don't know where to go from here." Melany muttered to herself, looking down each corridor. She then let out a sigh. "To be fair, I'd have no idea where May might be anyway."

After thinking over her dilemma for a moment, Melany remembered her pokenav and quickly took out the version three. _"I can just call her."_ She thought. She dialed the number for May's pokenav into her's and then waited for May to pick up. After waiting for a while with no response, she sighed and hit the end button.

_"Must be busy, and probably not here."_ She thought, placing the pokenav back in a pouch on her belt. _"Well, guess I could wander around and maybe find somewhere to dry off in here. Definitely don't want to touch any of May's stuff if I wander into whatever room she claimed as her own."_ Melany shuddered, picturing the violent outburst from May if she found Melany in her room.

_"On the other hand, maybe I'll just go to the Lilycove pokecenter and get Alakazam to send me some dry clothes..."_

Melany headed back into the dock, but almost immediately felt a sense of dread. She could hear the rain outside before she even got to the dock. It was coming down hard, a veritable downpour. Once she was in the dock area she could see the rain for herself through the opening. It was coming down so heavily that she couldn't see far outside at all.

"Great..." Melany sighed. "I knew it was going to rain, but I didn't think it'd be like this. If I didn't know Kyogre was still at the island I'd swear it was right outside and had stolen the Sapphire."

Melany took a moment to consider what she just said and debated checking in, but realized it would be pointless. Kyogre had absolutely no way of getting the Sapphire, being pretty much immobile on land. Groudon would be the only one that could try, but the other pokemon would intervene if Groudon made any attempt to get near the headquarters. Even on a day like today, with Rina and Melany both away from the island, a solitary legendary pokemon was no match for the rest of their pokemon.

With leaving no longer an option, Melany turned and headed back into the base. _"No choice but to wander around now, I guess. That weather isn't great for flying and I'll just get soaked even more."_ She thought to herself. _"Maybe there's a boiler room I can dry my clothes in or something."_

While blindly wandering the corridors of the old Team Aqua base and rounding a bend, Melany heard her pokenav ring. She reached down to pick it up, not paying attention to what was ahead of her for a split second and didn't see another girl standing in front of her. She bumped into her without thinking and two pokenavs clattered to the floor.

"Hey! Watch where you're...Melany?" Melany blinked and quickly looked up at the person she bumped into. It was May, and her orange tank top, bike shorts, and green bandana were all completely soaked, as was the white cape clinging to her back.

"May? What are you..." Melany blinked again, looking May over. "Why are you wet and wearing a cape?"

"I was visiting Wallace and it started pouring on the way back." May replied flatly and then pointed back at her. "Your turn. Why are you wet and why are you here?"

"I was in Lilycove getting supplies and decided to drop by. On the way, Skarmory decided to take a dip." Melany said. "And saying you were visiting Wallace doesn't explain the cape..."

May let out a heavy sigh. "He thinks I should be wearing one for some reason..."

"Anyway, I don't suppose you could lend me some dry clothes? For that matter, have a dryer around here by any chance?"

"Umm..." May glanced nervously at the door next to her. For the most part it was completely unremarkable, having only a number to identify it which suggested it might be sleeping quarters. Claw marks under the number, however, spelled out the name 'May'. Even if Melany had not bumped into her in that very spot it would have been obvious that it was May's bedroom.

"J-just hold on a second!" May said, opening the door and bolting inside. She slammed the door shut behind her and Melany could hear a lock click.

_"What's she doing?"_ Melany wondered, folding her arms in front of her. She could hear May shuffling around inside. _"Its not like I'd even have to go in her room if she didn't want me to..."_

After a few minutes, May opened the door again, a fierce blush across her face. "You can come in now."

_"Suspicious. Its almost as if she's hiding something."_ Melany thought, stepping inside.

Inside the room, there was no sign of whatever it was May was hiding from her. The place was, however, in quite a mess. It seemed as if May had moved almost all her clothing to the old base, which she now claimed for herself, but had nothing to put it in. There were two bunk beds in the room, one on either side of the door, and the bottom bunk on the right side from the door had all of May's clothing spread out on it. Not even sorted, just one big pile on the bed.

"May, do you really...live like this?" Melany asked, blinking in disbelief at the mess of clothes on the bed.

"One of these days I'm going to get a bed and move all my stuff to the mess hall." May said with a sigh. "I can't do anything with these rooms, the bunk beds are built into the wall and even if I pulled them off they're too big to get through the door."

"Couldn't you take them apart and move them piece by piece?" Melany suggested.

"Do I LOOK like a handyman?!" May growled. "Anyway, you can criticize my room later! Just grab something from the pile and go change somewhere! We're getting water everywhere and my clothes are starting to itch."

Melany glanced down at the floor, where a puddle was forming. Mostly around May as Melany had already dripped quite a bit. Looking at the pile of clothes again she shrugged and walked over to the side of the bed. She quickly dug out a pair of red shorts and a white t-shirt, then turned to May.

"Any towels?" She asked.

"In there somewhere." May replied, pointing at the pile. Melany blinked and looked back at it. There were no immediately visible towels.

"You could have at least kept everything separate." Melany said to her.

"Less complaining, more fetching!" May snapped. "And find one for me too."

_"Why am I the one doing this again?"_ Melany wondered. Fortunately, it didn't take her long to find the towels. She revealed one after pushing aside a pile of clothing from the top and another one was burried near it. Melany took one towel and tossed the other to May.

"I'll wait in the hall when I'm done." Melany said to her, then stepped outside the room. Once Melany was gone, May locked the door and let out an exasperated sigh, leaning back against it and slowly dropping to the floor.

_"Why did she have to turn up here so suddenly?!"_ May thought, glancing nervously toward her own bunk. _"There's no telling what she'd think if she knew I had those comics, why would she suddenly decide to..."_ May stopped and blinked, realizing she knew why Melany had shown up.

_"No, wait...we were just talking about this yesterday. I mentioned that dress that Glacia got for me. She wanted to see it, and I wanted to see the other pokemon she had that evolved..."_ May looked toward the right-top bunk where, separate from the rest of her clothes, the dress was laid out. She let out a sigh.

_"Well, since I'm getting changed anyway..."_

* * *

After a few minutes, Melany emerged from the sleeping quarters across the corridor from the one May had claimed. She was wearing the red shorts and white shirt she had borrowed, as well as her usual pokeball belt. To her, it almost felt like she was wearing a track outfit and, to her dismay, the shirt seemed a bit loose on her.

_"Like I needed anymore reminders of how many sizes May has me beat by."_ Melany thought, letting out a sigh. Her gaze lowered to the floor briefly and she noticed the two pokenavs that she and May had dropped earlier.

_"Our pokenavs..."_ Melany quickly picked up the two of them, taking one in each hand. She looked them over, checking for any damage. _"Guess we forgot about these because we were so surprised at seeing each other. Doesn't look like they were damaged any in the fall, but..." _Melany pressed the 'end' button on each pokenav and smiled wryly.

_"And still in the middle of a call."_ She thought. _"May must have been flying back here when I called and checked her pokenav when she finally got here. Though, that timing was still oddly coincidental..."_

Melany leaned against the wall next to May's room and waited, folding her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. It seemed to take forever, but eventually the door to May's room opened and May stepped out. Melany turned to her, about to make a wisecrack about how long it took her to get changed, but was left with her mouth agape when she saw what May was wearing.

May had changed into the dress given to her by Glacia. It was a red, silk dress that extended down to May's knees. The sleeves of the dress were detached and a flower pattern went around the waist and on a diagonal across the torso. Noticing Melany was looking at her, May blushed slightly. "W-well? You wanted to see it, right?"

Melany quickly shook her head, coming out of her daze. "It looks...great." She replied quietly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I can't imagine any time you'd wear something like THAT though, unless maybe you were going to attend a fancy ball at a castle or something."

May sighed. "I know, even Glacia admitted it was a bit fancy..."

"Are you sure you even want to wear that now? If you get it dirty you can't exactly just throw it in a washing machine."

"You're the one who wanted to see it." May replied, glaring at her. "Beside that, you said it yourself. I'd never need to wear something this fancy. Even going out on a date it'd be a bit much unless I was going to some fancy rich restaurant."

"Right." Melany smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, since you're wearing that, I should probably carry your wet clothes to the...wherever the washers and dryers are here. Unless you planned to change into something else?"

"Just grab the wet clothes and let's go already." May replied indignantly. Melany chuckled to herself and nodded.

"Here, hold these." She said, handing over the two pokenavs to May. Melany then went into the two rooms to retrieve each of their wet clothes, after which May lead the way to the hideout's laundry room.

Inside the laundry room, on one side of the room were eight washers and eight dryers on the other side. There was enough walking space between them for two people to walk side by side, but there wasn't anything else there. The room was primarily used by Team Aqua for washing uniforms in large quantities.

"We should probably wash our clothes before we dry them, otherwise they'll stink." Melany said to May, setting the wet clothes down on one washer while opening the front of the one next to it to get it ready.

"Oh, umm, ok." May said, blinking. She didn't really understand it herself, though she seemed to vaguely recall her mother saying something similar once. She watched as Melany put the detergent in and then loaded up the washer. Once the washer was loaded and running, May decided to remind Melany that she had something to show as well.

"Melany, didn't you mention you had evolved your other pokemon yesterday?" May asked her.

"Oh, right..." Melany rubbed the back of her head, keeping her back to May. "You...didn't want to see that now, did you?"

"Well why wouldn't I?" May replied, narrowing her eyes at Melany. "We have to wait for the clothes to be washed now anyway, right? So lets go already!"

"Fine." Melany replied, letting out a sigh. She took a pokeball from her belt and headed out into the corridor. "I'll release it out here." May nodded and followed her out into the corridor.

"Its almost as if she doesn't trust this pokemon." May thought. "Its just her Porygon, isn't it? Come to think of it, doesn't she usually keep her Porygon in a pokenav instead of a pokeball?"

"Porygon! You better behave this time!" Melany called out as she held out the pokeball and pressing the button. The pokeball opened and a pokemon began to materialize in the air.

The pokemon that appeared looked just like Porygon2, only its body was flipped upside down and its head was detached. The head floated between what now looked like a pair of blue arms and the head itself was also upside down, its neck looking more like a spike on the top of its head now. May immediately felt something was off about Porygon's new form when she saw the yellow, bullseye-like eyes. A sound clip Porygon played when it appeared would confirm Porygon's oddness.

"At last, after ten thousand years I'm free! It's time to conquer Earth!" Porygon cried out in a hag-like voice.

"Wh-what was that all about?!" May yelled in confusion, quickly stepping back from Porygon. Porygon immediately turned toward the two and played another clip in several different voices.

"Dragonite! Mamoswine! Aerodactyl! Bastiodon! Raikou! Tyranitar!" As each different pokemon was named, Porygon used conversion to change its body color from green, to black, to pink, to blue, to yellow, to red, and then finally reverted to its original colors. The entire scene left May confused and speechless.

"Yeah, Porygon's been doing some really weird things ever since I uploaded that 'dubious disc' that Steven gave me to evolve it." Melany paused for a moment, then added, "Maybe I should have been a bit more suspicious about something called that..."

"YES YOU SHOULD!" May yelled. May gasped as the Porygon suddenly moved closer and found herself pressed up against the wall, its eyes staring into her's as if observing her.

"so i herd u liek mudkipz?" Porygon asked, again playing a sound clip it had downloaded.

"But I've never..."

"Don't bother, it'll just start spouting off whatever nonsense its managed to download." Melany said to her, holding out Porygon's pokeball toward it. "Ok, that's enough from you. Porygon, return!" The pokeball opened and a beam shot out, striking Porygon.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Porygon cried out as it was dematerialized, using another sound clip it had downloaded. Porygon was returned to the pokeball, at which point Melany clipped it to her belt. May breathed a sigh of relief.

"And that would be why I don't keep it in a pokenav anymore, incase you're wondering." Melany said to May. "It just outright refuses to stay inside."

"Can't you just reformat that thing or something?" May asked her.

"That'd involve putting it in a computer. I'm not letting that thing anywhere near a computer. I don't want to know what'd happen if it somehow managed to get access to

"Has it at least gotten stronger?"

"Well, yesterday I decided to test that out by having it use Hyper Beam." Melany said to her. "I had Porygon fire into the air just to be safe. On that note, in the off chance we shot down a satellite, this conversation didn't happen."

_"She's...she's exaggerating, right?"_ May thought nervously.

"Anyway, where's that 'little monster' at?" Melany asked May, changing the subject. "I thought I'd finally have the chance to meet her today."

"Oh, she doesn't usually come around until later in the day." May replied, pushing off from the wall. "On a day like this she probably won't come at all, the water's too rough and I talked to her before I left Sootopolis anyway."

"Too bad." Melany said with a shrug. "By the way, why DO you let that girl stay here?" She then asked. "I mean, even you call her a 'monster'."

"Well...you know that girl in Johto? Father's really Suicune?" May said.

"I did forget. I probably wanted to forget. Its DEFINITELY not something I want to think too hard about. I look forward to forgetting again once this conversation is over."

"Umm...right." May shook her head. "Anyway, I was thinking it might be a good idea for her to have a bodyguard. But not one of us, because we'd attract a lot of attention. Even if it was just Rina, someone is going to suspect there's something unusual about her. But no one would think anything of a girl like Angela and, well, she does seem like she'd get the job done. So I'll spend the next year or so training her before sending her to Johto with Suicune!"

"...Ok, that's unusually thought-out for you." Melany said, scratching the back of her head and raising an eyebrow. "Still, its not like we couldn't just use a disguise. I mean, isn't that a better idea than helping her get stronger pokemon when she already has no qualms about ordering her pokemon to attack someone. Heck, I hear Rina practically looks like a boy when she wears a hat to hide her ponytail."

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you'd suggest someone disguising as a boy?" May replied, glaring at her. "Anyway! I can teach her right from wrong, she'll listen to me!"

_"Why would she listen to May and not her own parents?"_ Melany wondered. _"Angela takes this whole fangirl thing to the next level."_

"Well?" May asked, looking at Melany expectantly. She was hoping Melany would approve, even though May fully intended to go through with it either way.

"I still think its a bad idea, but I'm morbidly curious about how it'll turn out and its not like there's any legendary pokemon left for her to get her hands on." Melany shrugged. "Fine, whatever, I won't try to stop you."

May sighed. "You don't sound like you really agree with this..."

"I'm not even convinced the girl even NEEDS a bodyguard. Who the heck is going to think she's worth kidnapping? Its not like you can tell she was born from a wish just by looking at her."

"But what if something happens to her?" May said. "Even Ho-Oh agrees that she's a very important step toward improving human and pokemon relations."

"I'm not sure that kind of improvement is a good thing." Melany said flatly. She peered over into the laundry room as they spoke, where the washing machine was still going, washing their wet clothes. "You know, I know the reason that's necessary is because rain water isn't exactly clean, same goes for ocean water, but it still seems kinda redundant..."

"I'm not talking about..." May sighed. "Know what? Nevermind..." May moved in front of the laundry room's entrance, looking in as well. "Any idea how long they need to be in there for? I mean, its not like a full load of wash, and they were already wet..."

With May standing in the doorway, where Melany was looking, Melany got a good look at the back of her dress and saw a grayish powder covering her. Curious, Melany glanced over at the wall where May had managed to leave an impression.

"May? You're covered in dust."

"Huh?" May tried to look back over her shoulder, pulling at it to try to get a better view of the back of her dress. She could see some of the dust, which really stood out on her red dress. "Where did all that come from?!"

"The wall, apparently." Melany said. "May...you don't clean often, do you?" May shook her head. Melany sighed. "You doing anything tomorrow?"

"Well, I have to check in on Flygon, Altaria, and Salamence at some point. Drake wanted to spend some more time training them with his dragons." May replied, turning around fully to face Melany and looking at her curiously. "Why?"

"Would it be alright with you if I stayed here and helped you fix the place up a bit?"

May smiled slightly. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to stay here for the night anyway, but you don't have to do that. I mean, this place is huge! It'd take days to clean all the walls, and floors, and..."

"May, how many water pokemon do we have access to?" May stopped and thought for a moment. "I have Azumarill, you have Pelipper, Ludicolo, Crawdaunt, Suicune, and a Salamence that knows Hydro Pump. Scrubbing the place would take time. Pressure washing with Hydro Pump? Not so much."

"I never thought of that before." May said, considering Melany's suggestion. "Though, I can't believe you're offering to stay here to do chores."

"I'm used to it. There's a lot of stuff to do on an island with over 70 pokemon." Melany said to her. "We can clean up, get your stuff moved into the mess hall, or maybe even just see if we can get everything you need moved there period. That way you wouldn't even have to worry about how dirty the rest of the place gets."

"Works for me!" May replied with an enthusiastic nod. "We can spend a little time working today and then stay up late talking about pokemon and watching tv!"

"Well, if that's what you want to do." Melany said, smiling slightly. "Oh, we'll have to get that dress cleaned up for sure now, though. There's probably a dry cleaners in Lilycove."

May rolled her eyes. "I'm not that worried about it, I can just throw it in the wash and whatever happens, happens. I probably won't wear it again."

"Glacia gave that to you, you know. She probably intends to take you out somewhere where you WOULD wear something like that at some point." Melany said, correcting her. "Anyway, it really does look good on you, and it might be good to have if you get involved with a rich guy in the next year or so."

"I wouldn't mind dating someone rich..." May said in a wistful tone, staring off into space for a moment. "On the other hand, I suppose I have, haven't I?" She added, looking back at Melany.

"I don't think I qualify as rich anymore, nor did I during said date. You've got more money than me now." Melany shrugged. "Anyway, would you mind looking after the clothes? I'm going to see what we'd need to do to move one of those bunks."

"Alright." May replied, nodding. Melany then left, heading back toward May's room. May smiled to herself as she walked back into the laundry room.

_"Its kinda funny though, the only time I've ever been on a date was with a girl."_ May thought. She walked up to the washer they were using and leaned back against the dryer across from it.

_"Thinking about that time...it just seems like a date with anyone would be a lot of trouble. I mean, there's the reporters, and dad to deal with. If I dated anyone again I'd have to keep it private somehow."_ She giggled quietly to herself. _"Maybe once this place is fixed up...but wearing a dress here is pointless, so its still not much use for a date." _May leaned back, staring at the ceiling as she thought about it.

_"That was kinda fun though, that time with Melany. Even though we're just friends, it really did seem like a date. I wouldn't mind doing that again, and she could skip the disguise if its private. I wonder what she'd think?"_ May pondered for a moment, then shrugged.

_"I can ask her later since she's staying here. Right now she's probably checking out the bunk I sleep on, looking for a way to...to..."_ May stopped, the words slowly sinking in and the realization of what Melany was up to dawned on her. She gasped and bolted up, racing back toward her room as fast as she could. When she got there, though, she was too late. Melany was kneeling next to her bunk, flipping through one of the comics May had been trying to hide. Hearing May's footsteps, Melany closed the comic, stood up, and turned to face her.

"So...Steven and Wallace, huh?" Melany asked with a sly grin.

"Would...would you believe me if I said they were Angela's?" May asked, fidgeting nervously.

Melany slowly walked up to her and handed the comic to her. It was the kind of comic a freelance artist would make, pairing up Melany's brother Steven with the water champion Wallace. "Even though its my brother, I won't hold it against you. Though, this is certainly an unexpected side of you." She said, then returned to examining the bunk.

May hid her reddening face behind the comic. She was completely speechless and, despite Melany's claim, was sure the rest of their night together would be incredibly awkward.

* * *

Author's Notes: Even I felt a bit put off by all the dialogue in this chapter...sheesh. I had a good feeling going into the chapter but then things felt like they were dragging on a bit. Well, they talked about some important things anyway. Namely, a bit of set up for the Johto Saga thats probably a real year off yet, and set up for a few other things as well.

Anyway, whats going on next chapter should be obvious at this point. So, yeah. That's happening. And for those who might be curious, I actually looked up a dress for May with google image search.


	18. Chapter 18: The Strongest Trainers

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Eighteen**

**The Strongest Trainers**

Date: 1 year, 4 months, 8 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Deep within Meteor Falls, in a small side chamber, Steven Stone dug away at a rocky wall. Chipping away at the rock and sweeping away the dust with a small brush, a rare stone was slowly being unearthed. Steven recognized it immediately as a meteorite, containing rare elements from space. Finally chipping away the last bit of rock holding his precious stone in place, Steven carefully withdrew it. The meteorite, burried in the mountain from centuries ago, was about as big as Steven's fists held together.

"A remarkable sample. I wonder what secrets it might hold?" Steven smiled to himself, examining the rock. He chuckled to himself and placed the meteorite in a gray backpack that was resting against the wall. "Of course, to come all the way here, surely you don't believe I'm nothing more than a mere rock maniac?" He asked, slowly standing and turning to face the red-clad trainer behind him.

"I've been told you're strong." Red said calmly, his hands resting in the pockets of his jeans. "I don't care about your hobbies, I'm only interested in a strong trainer to test my skills."

"Straight to the point, huh?" Steven folded his arms and chuckled. "Not even going to introduce yourself? Though, I have a fairly good idea of who you are already."

"Red. From Pallet Town." Red replied flatly. He wasn't interested in introductions, he was eager to battle this guy. His Pikachu stood next to him, looking equally eager for a fight. Rina had told both of them about how Steven's Claydol shrugged off an attack from four of her pokemon, yet Claydol wasn't even his strongest pokemon.

"Red?" Steven smirked. "That's certainly an interesting name. Well then, Red, if you're going to mount a serious challenge, then expect the worst." Steven reached down to his belt and removed a pokeball, then held it up and brushed some dust that had gathered on it from his chiseling at the wall. He looked at Red's Pikachu, then at Red. "Will you be starting with that pokemon?" Steven asked.

Red nodded and motioned for Pikachu to move forward. Pikachu did so, moving out on all four legs and then standing upright when she was a few feet in front of him. Her white cheeks sparked with electricity. Though Red had given his Pikachu's old light ball to Rina over a year ago, Red had since managed to track down another one in the abandoned power plant. It took several months for him to find one. Though a few wild Pikachu had them, he didn't want to take it from them, so he waited for one to be abandoned. Now, his Pikachu had once again absorbed a light ball into her body to boost her power.

"Very well, then I will start with this." Steven stated, holding out his pokeball and pressing the button. "Claydol!" He called out as a beam fired out from the pokeball and materialized into his pokemon, a brown statue-like pokemon that was four feet tall and hovered over the ground. "Its only fair to warn you, since you likely have not seen this pokemon before, that Claydol is a ground-type. Your Pikachu's electric attacks..."

"I don't need coaching from my opponent." Red snapped, glaring at him. "I don't care about type disadvantages either. My pokemon will give it their all regardless of opponent and will never back down!"

"Well, you certainly are fired up for this." Steven said, chuckling. "But, perhaps you could back up some?" Steven gestured toward the ground between them. "We are barely a dozen feet apart here. With pokemon as powerful as mine, and presumably your's, they will need more space if you and I are to be in one piece when it's over and done with."

_"No arguing with that I guess."_ Red thought, nodding to Steven. Red backed up until he was against another wall, over 30 feet away from Steven. Pikachu and Claydol then moved further away from him as well, putting themselves midway between the two trainers.

_"Come to think of it, this area of the cavern is pretty open here."_ Red thought, glancing around. The ceiling was high and the 'wall' behind him was actually more of a hill, though Red certainly couldn't scale the steep side on his own. To his left, mostly empty space for a few dozen feet. To the right, though, the wall was only a few feet away. _"He must have been expecting a battle, he did say he had a fairly good idea of who I am. Maybe someone told him I was coming?"_

"Now, let's start. Claydol, Earthquake."

"Pikachu, jump and use Iron Tail!"

Steven's Claydol began to spin and smashed its body into the ground, sending out a powerful shockwave that caused the ground to shake and crack. Red's Pikachu quickly jumped up before the shockwave could reach her, jumping toward Claydol and flipping in the air to smash Claydol in the head with her steel-clad tail. Claydol reeled back and its head spun while Pikachu flipped back through the air, landing perfectly in the exact spot she had jumped from. The ground had already settled by then, though small fissures were left under her feet.

"Hmm? And here I thought you would have a better strategy in mind than that if you were keeping a Pikachu in battle with a ground-type." Steven said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"What's that supposed to mean? We evaded your Earthquake!" Red shot back. "Not only that, but a Light Ball enhances a Pikachu's physical power, making her hit even harder with that Iron Tail!"

"You think it will be that easy?" Steven chuckled and smirked at him. "Well then, try to evade Claydol's Earth Power technique!" Claydol immediately began its attack, an orange glow surrounding the pokemon's body.

_"I don't know what that's going to do, but it sounds like another Earthquake-type attack to me."_ Red thought. "Pikachu, jump and Iron Tail again!" Pikachu nodded, her tail taking on a metallic appearance as she jumped into the air. This time, however, she wouldn't make it all the way to her target. The fissures on the ground from Claydol's previous attack began to glow and a burst of orange light suddenly shot up, widening the cracks. Pikachu cried out in pain as the orange light struck her, throwing her straight up. Her tail lost its metallic coat as she fell back down, hitting the ground hard.

"Pikachu!" Red called out to his pokemon. Pikachu slowly stood back up, wincing. She was obviously in pain.

"Earth Power, a special-attack variation on Earthquake you could say." Steven explained to Red. "Summons energy from the Earth itself to attack. Sadly, with that, this match is over. Claydol, Psychic." Each eye on Claydol's head flashed blue and a similarly colored glow surrounded Red's Pikachu. Claydol was focusing a telepathic power on her. She was raised into the air and then smashed hard into the ground. She let out a yelp when she hit and was knocked unconscious.

_"Damn it! The only pokemon that ever defeated us this easily before was Duke's Mewtwo!"_ Red thought, gritting his teeth as he recalled his Pikachu. _"This guy's power is definitely for real, I can't underestimate him like that again!"_

"No doubt you have come to realize how strong I am, but yet you impress me, Red." Steven said, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Before now I have never encountered an electric pokemon that could withstand either of Claydol's 'Earth' attacks. Its been some time since I've met a trainer who could hold their own against me, perhaps you'll give me a decent workout."

Red quickly snatched another pokeball from his belt and released his next pokemon. "Blastoise, I choose you!" He called out, his Blastoise materializing several feet away.

"Straight to the point again, I see. Not very talkative, are you, Red?" Steven chuckled and brushed his hair back. "You should try to be more open. It certainly isn't much fun battling you like this. I can only imagine how your friends must feel about this attitude of your's."

"That's none of your business." Red snapped, glaring at him. "I'm here for one thing and one thing only, to put my training to the test against a strong trainer!"

"Very well." Steven replied with a shrug, then held out Claydol's pokeball. "That will be enough for you then, Claydol." He said, recalling his pokemon. In one fluid motion he then switched Claydol's pokeball with another one and began to release his next pokemon. "Skarmory!" He called out, the pokeball opening and releasing the metal bird pokemon into the battle.

"Blastoise, Rain Dance!"

"Skarmory, Toxic."

Red's Blastoise began shuffling from side to side in a strange dance and clouds began to form overhead. The rain was coming too slow to be of any use stopping Skarmory's attack, however. Skarmory launched a blob of purple poison from its beak, which landed on Blastoise and seeped in. The rain began to pour shortly after, but too late to wash away the poison.

"You jump to attack too quickly, Red." Steven said to him. "Your Blastoise could have easily countered such a technique. Instead, you focused on increasing your attack power. My Skarmory is now in a position where it simply has to avoid or defend himself from your pokemon's attacks as the poison will take care of the rest." As Steven said this, his Skarmory crouched down and spread his wings. It was ready to take off to evade an attack from Red's Blastoise.

Red winced. _"He's right! I'm so used to relying on overpowering my opponents that I never think about what I'm doing, that's how people like Giovanni and Ashley keep managing to beat me. My pokemon are stronger than their's, but my style is easily taken advantage of. I need to think through what I'm going to do next."_ Red chuckled to himself. _"Funny how that works out. Seems like anytime I'm forced to think I don't have much time to do it."_

"The clock's ticking." Steven reminded Red. "That poison isn't going to wait for you to come up with a strategy. Nor will the rain, though I suspect your Blastoise won't outlast it anyway."

_"Yeah, that's kinda the problem here, isn't it?"_ Red thought, looking at his pokemon. Blastoise was grimacing in pain. Skarmory, meanwhile, was still ready to evade whatever Red was going to throw at it. _"My only chance to defeat his Skarmory before Blastoise faints is with a Torrent-boosted Hydro Cannon, but I'll need to make sure it hits."_ Red smirked. _"So I'll set him up for that!"_

"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" Red called out to his pokemon, then quietly added, "Stop when Skarmory evades." His Blastoise nodded and focused his twin water cannons on Skarmory. Blastoise fired a powerful stream of water from each but, predictably, Skarmory flew up to avoid it. Blastoise immediately cut the attack once Skarmory had lifted up off the ground.

"Now! Blizzard!" Red called out quickly. Almost immediately after Blastoise had stopped the flow of water he fired again, this time aiming up and releasing a blast of ice and snow. Skarmory wasn't able to evade the sudden attack and was caught in the blast. Ice began to form on his body and Skarmory dropped to the ground. It was already starting to melt from the rain, meanwhile a blue glow surrounded Blastoise's body as its special ability took effect from the poison.

_"Interesting...does he have something planned, I wonder?"_ Steven thought, a smirk crossing his lips. _"Either way, all I can do now is trust Skarmory's ability to dodge this next attack. With that ice, and the distance between them, there's not much chance of Skarmory getting the first hit."_

"Ok, one more attack! Lets finish this with Hydro Cannon!" Red called out. With Skarmory still struggling from the Blizzard attack, Blastoise unleashed his ultimate attack. A high pressure blast of water fired from each of Blastoise's cannons, fanning out until the two blasts combined into a single, large blast of water. The water engulfed Skarmory completely and pushed it back, coming within only a few feet of hitting Steven before smashing Skarmory into the wall. The pressure being generated by the attack was intense, thanks in part to the torrent and rain boosts. Mud and rock was washed out from the wall, slowly embedding Skarmory.

"Alright! Don't let up, Blastoise!" Red yelled, cheering on his pokemon. Blastoise ended up stopping sooner than Red had hoped, though. Blastoise was already weak from poison, which finally took its toll. The water stopped, and Blastoise let out a groan and collapsed. Looking toward the hole in the wall where Skarmory was burried, Red could see the steel bird pokemon was fainted as well and smiled weakly.

"Well, you were able to knock it out anyway, good job." He said, then recalled his Blastoise. Steven pointed Skarmory's pokeball over his shoulder, toward the hole, and recalled his pokemon as well.

"Not bad, only one problem. A draw doesn't help you at this point." Steven said to Red. "Skarmory was another pokemon built to take hits rather than deal them, yet you still had to sacrifice one of your own to beat it. You're down four to five now."

_"He's right, I still need to make up for lost ground somehow."_ Red thought, taking a pokeball in his hand. "Venusaur, I choose you!" Red held out Venusaur's pokeball and released it. Venusaur raised his head back and let out a roar as he materialized on the field.

"Venusaur, is it?" Steven chuckled. "As it happens, Red, I specialize in... 'mineral' pokemon I suppose you could say. Half of my pokemon are of the steel type as a result."

"So you're saying my Venusaur is at a disadvantage against two of the five pokemon you could be sending out next?"

"Well...technically only one, every other pokemon but Claydol is neutral actually." Steven replied, grinning sheepishly. "I'll be saving that 'one' for last, however. Instead..." Steven took a pokeball and held it out, releasing the Armaldo that was contained within. "You may fight this pokemon, my Armaldo."

"Guess I know he's saving a strong steel pokemon for last anyway." Red thought to himself, then turned his attention to the battle. "Venusaur, start off by disabling it with Sleep Powder!"

"Armaldo, throw as many boulders as you can with Rock Blast before the powder hits."

Red's Venusaur shook the plant on his back, releasing a cloud of green powder. As the powder floated through the air, Armaldo began pulling up chunks of rock from the ground and chucking them at Venusaur. Each rock struck Venusaur in the face and shattered, three rocks in total before the powder finally reached Armaldo and he collapsed into a deep sleep.

"Ok! Now use Giga Drain!" Red called out. Venusaur let out a low growl as he focused on the attack. A green glow surrounded both pokemon and energy began to seep out of Armaldo and into Venusaur. "Good! Keep it up!"

_"Fairly straightforward strategy, but it'll leave him open as soon as Armaldo wakes up."_ Steven thought. He watched his pokemon closely while Red's Venusaur kept on the attack. After a few moments Steven heard a groan from his pokemon and noticed it flinching.

"Armaldo, go on the attack now!" Steven commanded. "Charge Venusaur while using Rock Blast!" At his trainer's command, Armaldo suddenly sprung up on his feet, grabbing a chunk of rock as it did and hurled it at Venusaur. Yet another hit to the head, which distracted Venusaur and canceled his attack. Armaldo then charged toward Venusaur, crouching down to grab another rock as he ran. It was slow going, though, due to the pokemon's heavy footfalls.

"Venusaur, use Sleep Powder again!" Red called out quickly. Venusaur began to shake the plant on his back but was stopped by another rock to the face. Only a few feet remained between the two pokemon now.

"Change tactics, use X-Scissor." Steven instructed his pokemon. Armaldo crouched down again, moving a bit slower as it crossed its arms. It still wasn't slow enough for Venusaur to put him to sleep before attacking. Armaldo stood up again once he was standing directly in front of Venusaur, slicing across Venusaur's face in a scissor motion with his claws. Venusaur growled and staggered back, shaking his head. A green glow surrounded him briefly, his overgrow ability becoming active.

"Not bad..." Red muttered under his breath. "Venusaur, finish this now! Frenzy Plant!" Venusaur roared loudly and a green glow surrounded his body again, this time staying. Thick, brown roots erupted from the ground under Armaldo, sticking straight up and moving in to surround and wrap around the prehistoric pokemon. Armaldo cried out in pain as the roots squeezed tightly around its body.

Eventually, the glowing around Venusaur's body ceased. The roots it summoned appeared to suddenly wither and then snapped at the base, crashing down to the ground. They shattered on impact, releasing Armaldo, but the pokemon was already knocked out by then. Steven took out Armaldo's pokeball and recalled him.

"Seems you've managed to finally win one. Or rather, I should say, you ended another match in a draw." Steven said to Red as he took another pokeball in his hand. He released another prehistoric pokemon, Cradily, onto the field.

"What do you mean its another draw!? My Venusaur is still standing!" Red shot back angrily.

"Correct, but its also unable to remove." Steven said, gesturing toward Venusaur. Venusaur was panting heavily, trying to regain his strength after calling upon such a powerful attack. "Now, Cradily, finish his pokemon off with Ancientpower."

A faint, white glow surrounded Cradily's body and the ground around it shook. The primeval energy radiating from Cradily's body caused several small rocks broke free from the ground and float around it. Shifting forward, Cradily launched the rocks across the cavern at Venusaur. Venusaur was still recovering and unable to avoid the attack or defend itself, taking the rocks head on as a result. Venusaur looked disoriented briefly from taking too many hits to the head and then finally collapsed.

_"I left myself completely open for that one."_ Red thought, recalling Venusaur. He placed Venusaur's pokeball on his belt and was about to grab Charizard's pokeball but hesitated.

_"Wait...all of Steven's pokemon have been pretty slow so far, and I've already seen all but two of his pokemon. Since he has three steel-types and Skarmory was one of them, the last two must be steel pokemon!"_ Red smirked. _"I'll weaken his remaining pokemon with Espeon and Snorlax. Then, Charizard can clean up!"_

With his new strategy in mind, Red grabbed a different pokeball. "I choose you! Espeon!" He called out, holding out the pokeball and releasing Espeon to battle Steven's Cradily. _"Kinda wish I brought Lapras with me instead, but Lapras might not be strong enough to face a guy like Steven yet."_ Red thought.

"An interesting choice." Steven commented. "Ok, Cradily, let's start by digging in with Ingrain." Cradily sprouted roots from the base of his body, which immediately dug into the ground to absorb nutrients and heal itself.

"Espeon, use Psychic!" The gem on Espeon's forehead flashed and a blue glow surrounded Cradily's body. Unable to lift him, due to the roots anchoring him down, Espeon settled for bending Cradily at the stalk to repeatedly slam Cradily's head into the ground until Espeon finally lost his focus.

"Cradily, Stockpile to maximum!" Steven commanded. Cradily straightened up and opened his mouth, then began sucking energy into his body. Cradily's body began to expand, increasing his defenses while storing energy for an attack.

"Stockpile?" Red smirked. "Ok, Espeon, get ready to copy those boosts with Psych Up once its stored maximum energy." Espeon nodded and readied himself, the gem on his forehead emitting a soft glow in preparation to use Psych Up.

_"I wonder what he's up to?"_ Steven thought, noticing that Espeon had prepared an attack but didn't seem to do anything. _"Given that its a psychic pokemon, it seems most likely that Red would attempt to copy the defensive boosts from Cradily's Stockpile. Therefore..."_

"Cradily, enough. Spit Up!" Steven called out. Cradily took aim at Red's Espeon and fired a huge, white blast of energy. Firing pre-emptively caught Espeon off guard and he didn't use Psych Up as a result, leaving him to take the full power of Cradily's attack. Espeon tried to brace against it, mewling in pain as he was engulfed by the energy blast.

_"He saw through it? No way!"_ Red thought in shock. Espeon managed to endure the hit, but was barely standing when the energy subsided. "Espeon, quick! Morning Sun!" Red called out. Espeon stood up and began gathering light toward his gem, using what light he could collect to restore his strength.

Steven smirked. _"Now, let's not give that Espeon any unnecessary boosts to its physical defense."_ He thought. "Cradily, Amnesia."

"Espeon, Future Sight!" Red quickly called out.

The gem on Espeon's forehead flashed briefly and a white beam of light fired up into the air from Espeon's body, disappearing. Meanwhile, Cradily concentrated briefly, sacrificing a memory in exchange for increasing his defense against special attacks.

_"Interesting. He's certainly capable of using well-thought strategies when he puts his mind to it."_ Steven thought to himself. _"He's learned well as a trainer, but his experiences in Kanto must have left him complacent. As if he didn't need strategy to get by any of his opponent's then, instead raising his pokemon to a point where they could toss any trainer aside with brute force alone."_

"Espeon, don't let up! Use Psychic!" Red called out. The gem on Espeon's forehead flashed and a blue glow surrounded Cradily's body. Cradily's head immediately began swinging around wildly from the base, repeatedly smashing against the ground until Espeon lost his focus and Cradily was released from his power.

_"I really should keep my focus on the battle."_ Steven thought, chuckling to himself. "Cradily, use Amnesia again." Steven commanded, though wondering if it would do him any good at this point. Cradily concentrated, trading another memory for increased defense against Espeon's attacks.

"Again, Espeon!" Espeon's gem flashed as he repeated his previous attack and a blue glow surrounded Cradily's body. Espeon found it noticeably harder to move Cradily this time, the repeated Amnesia dampening the effect of his telekinetic powers. He still slammed Cradily into the ground a few times, however this time he finished by standing Cradily straight up.

A white beam of light suddenly materialized out of the air and fired down toward Cradily at an angle, striking straight through Cradily's head because of the position Espeon was holding it at. Cradily felt the full power of the beam piercing his defenses and his head was knocked into the ground as Espeon finally released him. He didn't get back up, either. Future Sight had sapped the last of his strength. Steven then recalled his pokemon.

"Well, you certainly didn't leave yourself open this time at least." Steven said to Red as he prepared to call out another pokemon. "However, your Espeon still won't manage much against this next pokemon." He then released his pokemon onto the field, sending out a pokemon that looked like a Rhydon wearing steel armor. His Aggron growled, ready to finish the fight that Cradily had started.

_"That's one of his two remaining steel pokemon."_ Red thought to himself. "Ok, Espeon, use Reflect!"

"Aggron, use Earthquake."

Steven's Aggron raised one foot and slammed it into the ground, sending out a shockwave in Espeon's direction. Before the shockwave reached him, Espeon was able to use his powers and form a translucent blue barrier around his body. The ground cracked and shook under Espeon's feet, but the barrier helped lessen the impacts as Espeon was thrown around. The shaking soon stopped and Espeon stood back up again.

"Aggron, Thunder." Steven commanded without missing a beat. Aggron roared and made a motion with one of his clawed hands, calling down a lightning bolt out of the air to strike Espeon. Espeon cried out in pain as the lightning bolt struck him and finally collapsed.

_"No good! Now I'm only left with Snorlax and Charizard!"_ Red thought in dismay as he recalled Espeon. _"Snorlax doesn't have much of a chance against Aggron either, but I don't want to send Charizard out just yet. If Snorlax can just survive one hit to use Belly Drum..."_

"Snorlax! I choose you!" Red called out, grabbing Snorlax's pokeball and releasing him onto the field. Red's Snorlax showed more energy than most, standing when he appeared in the cavern and looking determined to beat Aggron.

"Snorlax, power up! Belly Drum!" Snorlax growled and began beating on his chest, pounding so hard he hurt himself in the process. The pounding awakened an immense power in Snorlax, increasing his physical attack power several times over.

"Belly Drum will maximize your pokemon's power, but at what cost?" Steven said to Red. "Aggron, Iron Tail! We will not give Snorlax the chance to attack!" Aggron charged across the field with thunderous footsteps, hunched over slightly as if it were going to skewer Snorlax with its horn. Snorlax braced himself for impact, knowing he couldn't get out of the way in time. Aggron stopped in front of him and then quickly spun around, slamming his tail into Snorlax's side. Snorlax let out a groan and fell to the ground. Both trainers thought that attack might end it, but Snorlax was soon getting back on his feet.

"Snorlax! Full Power! Giga Impact!" Red called out quickly, hoping to strike before Aggron could make another attack.

"Aggron, Iron Head." Steven calmly ordered his pokemon, taking the development in stride.

Snorlax quickly rose to his feet with a roar, power swirling around his body in an orange aura as he prepared to attack. Aggron lowered his head and charged into Snorlax while Snorlax threw himself shoulder-first into Aggron. The two pokemon collided, Snorlax's right shoulder hitting Aggron's head. The immense power Snorlax was putting into his attack threw Aggron back several feet and sent him crashing down onto his back.

Snorlax didn't escape unharmed, though. He staggered back from the impact, raising his left hand to clutch his shoulder. Groaning in pain, Snorlax soon collapsed to the ground. Aggron, meanwhile, was already getting back up. Though it was an immensely powerful attack, Aggron's steel armor and rock hide on top of incredibly defense greatly lessened the impact. Aggron had taken considerable damage and was looking fairly exhausted, but was still ready to fight.

_"That's all I expected in the end."_ Red thought as he recalled Snorlax, then took his final pokeball in his hand and looked down at it. _"Ok, looks like its all up to you then, buddy."_

"Charizard, I choose you!" Red called out, releasing Charizard from its pokeball. The winged fire lizard appeared less than a dozen feet away from Aggron. He raised his head back and let out a mighty roar, shooting flames into the air, then lowered his gaze back down to his opponent.

_"Hmm. There isn't a thing Aggron can do now, I'm afraid."_ Steven thought, frowning. _"Nothing I can do but let him take the fall..."_

"Charizard, finish this one now! Flamethrower!" Charizard opened his mouth and fired a stream of flames at Aggron. Aggron stumbled back, raising his hands in a vain attempt to shield himself from the flames. After enduring a full power Giga Impact from Snorlax, Charizard's Flamethrower was more than Aggron could bear and soon it collapsed. Steven, anticipating this, recalled his pokemon.

"Red, I am sure you intended to make a comeback with this pokemon, but you're forgetting which pokemon I still have left." Steven said as he took another pokeball in his hand, then released Claydol back out to fight.

"We aren't afraid of your Claydol, right Charizard?" Red said. Charizard roared in agreement. "Charizard, attack with Shadow Claw!" Charizard flapped his wings and took off across the cavern, flying low to the ground as he moved in to attack. Steven waited until Charizard was almost in range to strike Claydol before calling an attack.

"Claydol, Selfdestruct." Claydol began to glow as energy built up inside its body. Charizard, realizing what was going on, spread out his wings and dropped to the ground to stop himself. He was only a few feet away, though, and couldn't get away in time to avoid the resulting blast. A sphere of energy erupted from Claydol's body in an explosion, the shockwaves from which threw Charizard onto his back before the energy engulfed him completely. When the blast subsided, both pokemon were lying on the ground. Steven recalled Claydol, but Charizard's Blaze ability activated. He slowly stood up and let out a roar as the flame on his tail suddenly grew larger.

"Interesting, so it managed to survive that hit?" Steven said with a slight smirk. "This might put me in a pretty tight spot..."

"Charizard was still at full strength, of course that wasn't going to take him down!" Red shot back. "Now call out your last pokemon, we're ready for it now!" He added. Charizard roared in agreement.

_"My best versus his best, it seems."_ Steven thought as he drew his final pokeball. _"A shame it will be over in only one move."_

"Metagross, come forth!" Steven called out as he released his final pokemon. The pokeball in his hand opened and a red beam fired out ten feet before finally materializing into Metagross. The pokemon let out a metallic roar and planted its four, spike-tipped feet firmly into the ground. With very little distance between them, Red's Charizard immediately flapped his wings took off into the air. He knew what was coming next.

"Charizard, end this with one move! Blast Burn!" Red called out, and his Charizard happily obliged. Charizard opened his mouth and started to build up a condensed ball of fire. He then leaned toward the ground and fired, the small fireball expanding into a wide pillar of fire as it was bearing down on Metagross. The last thing anyone saw before the steel pokemon was engulfed in flames was Metagross floating off the ground and raising one fist back.

_"Thats the most powerful fire attack there is, and its power is increased by Charizard's Blaze ability. There's no way any pokemon weak to it can withstand that kind of power."_ Red thought.

Charizard kept up the attack, but as the flames started to dwindle a comet-like fireball suddenly emerged from the flames. The sight alone startled Charizard enough to stop his attack entirely. The fireball rose through the air and slammed into Charizard's stomach, causing Charizard's eyes to bulge and his jaw to drop. The force of the impact threw Charizard clear across the cavern.

"What the?!" Red cried out in shock. Charizard slammed down in front of him with a heavy thud, already unconscious by the time he had landed. Looking back up at the fireball he saw that the flames had finally dispersed, revealing a still-conscious Metagross. The pokemon suddenly dropped back down to the ground, letting out a triumphant roar when it landed. "It survived?!" Red said in disbelief.

"Thanks to Meteor Mash, no doubt." Steven said, picking up his backpack and then approaching his pokemon. He reached out to pat Metagross on the back but recoiled when he felt the heat rising off its body. "Ah...good job, Metagross." He said to his pokemon, grinning sheepishly. Metagross groaned and nodded its head.

"Meteor Mash? How did that help any?" Red asked. Though Red knew of the technique, he had never seen it in action. The only pokemon aside from Metagross even capable of using it was Clefairy and Clefable, both rare pokemon and even rarer was one that would make use of the technique.

"Allow me to explain." Steven began. "When Metagross uses Meteor Mash, air currents get diverted around it. The same goes for anything in the air, such as, for example, fire. Though it is impossibly to avoid damage, especially from an attack like that, due to the heat, the technique allows Metagross to avoid a direct hit."

_"But to even endure that much...how strong IS that pokemon?"_ Red wondered, eying Steven's Metagross.

"Well, since the battle is over, let me say this: your pokemon are indeed powerful, and you have a lot of potential. In time you will undoubtedly surpass even myself." Steven said to Red. He then reached into his backpack and took out a blue metal band and held it up for Red to see.

"Red, do you know what this is?" Red shook his head, and Steven went on to explain. "Its called a 'power anklet'. Its actually rather heavy and, when worn, will make it harder for a pokemon to move fast."

"What's the point of that?" Red asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Simple, it forces the pokemon to work harder to move as quickly as it would without it. Thus, when removed, the pokemon will find its speed has increased overall." Steven smiled. "Essentially a weighted training band for pokemon. You can find similar bands that weaken a pokemon's endurance, defenses, or offensive abilities, and makes them stronger in those areas as a result."

"So if I had those bands, my pokemon would get even more out of their training?" Red asked. Steven nodded to him.

"Exactly. They're not easy to find, unfortunately, but if you tried I'm sure you could get whatever ones you need." He reached into his backpack again, taking out a small crystal-like object, then walked over to Red and handed both items to him. "You may keep this band for yourself, and take this revive as well. You'll need one of your pokemon to deal with any wild ones you encounter on the way out."

Red eyed the items in his hands and then gave Steven a questioning look. "I only came here to test myself against a strong trainer, why are you being so helpful now?"

"I like to think I don't need a reason to help someone." Steven replied with a shrug. "But don't you think a strong trainer with a good heart, someone like you, would only be a good thing for the world?"

Red paused for a moment, then quietly used the revive Steven handed to him to revive Charizard. Once Charizard was back on his feet, Red called him and turned to Steven. "Don't think we're friends just because you helped me. If we meet again I'll definitely beat you!"

"Oh?" Steven smirked. "I look forward to it then. Its been years since anyone has come this close to beating me."

Red turned and started off out of the cavern. Once he was out of sight, Steven heard a loud noise behind him and turned around to see his Metagross had collapsed in exhaustion, its legs all bent to the left as they had given out from under it. Being an almost robotic pokemon it was hard to tell what kind of condition Metagross was in from looking at it. It gave the appearance of having easily withstood Charizard's attack until the boy and his pokemon couldn't see how much they had really weakened it.

"Ah...seems he might have been even closer to winning than I thought." Steven shook his head. "If you had been any slower using Meteor Mash..." Metagross let out a metallic groan and glared at Steven. Steven chuckled to himself. "Hold on, hold on, I'll get the full restore..."

* * *

Author's Notes: Originally I wasn't going to include EV-increasing items at all, but then I got the idea of them being essentially weighted training equipment for pokemon. I wasn't going to have Red get another Light Ball either, but it seems his Pikachu has one in his HG/SS appearance. His Pikachu is also male in that instance, but I'm not giving Pikachu a sex-change just for that. There's a fair bit of plot riding on his Pikachu being female, afterall...


	19. Chapter 19: Too Far

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Too Far**

Date: 1 year, 9 months, 8 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Five months had passed since Red's showdown with Steven. Red had returned to Mt. Silver after that to continue his training, while also enlisting Professor Oak's and Rina's help in tracking down training weights for his pokemon. Steven, meanwhile, had left for Sinnoh as soon as his villa had been constructed and would remain there for some time to come while searching for rare stones and meteorite fragments.

The girls had kept themselves quite busy in that time. Ashley continued her work in taking pictures of wild pokemon. Her website was eventually noticed by a major magazine company who requests a different pokemon photo from her every month to use in the next issue. May kept herself quite busy as well between training Angela, getting together with the other elites and even gym leaders occassionally, and even had to defend her title twice though won with little effort.

In all of this, though, Rina and Melany more or less kept up their daily routines on the island. Brief excursions to meet with Red, Ashley, May, or to pick up supplies were about the only times either did anything out of the ordinary. Today was another typical day for them. Their chores recently finished for the afternoon, Rina was with Pippi in the computer room contemplating training methods for her pokemon while Melany sorted through pokeballs on a metal table next to the computer prior to heading out for the day.

"Hey, Grass Knot looks like a pretty good defensive technique!" Rina said, reading over the technique's description on the computer screen. "With a technique like that my pokemon could trip any charging attackers!"

"A lot of pokemon learn it, too. Like Pippi and Mary." Melany said to her, idly scanning another pokeball with her pokenav before letting out a sigh and tossing it in a box on the edge of the table. "Can't believe she's going to donate a hariyama..." She muttered under her breath.

"So a pikachu and or a mawile could learn this technique?" Rina said to herself, blinkin in disbelief. She looked down at the pikachu sitting in her lap. "What do you think, Pippi?"

"-I prefer my idea of a counter.-" Pippi looked up at Rina with a wide grin on her face. "-Volt Tackle!-"

"I think charging into a charging enemy with that attack might hurt a bit." Rina said to her. Pippi frowned.

"Well, that's the last one." Melany said as she packed one final pokeball into the box. She closed the lid and sealed it shut with a piece of tape. Rina swiveled the computer chair around to face her.

"Heading out now?" Rina asked her.

"Yeah, I've got all the pokemon May wants to donate. I can drop them off on my way there." Melany replied. She put the box into her backpack, which already contained a change of clothes. She then turned to Rina and winked at her. "Try not to break the computer while I'm gone."

Rina quickly threw her hands up and rolled the chair back. "I'm not touching it if you're not here!"

Melany laughed quietly to herself. "I'm surprised you're still researching techniques, though. I'd have figured you'd have your training all figured out by now."

"I thought so too, but I keep finding new attacks I want to try out!" Rina replied, smiling sheepishly. "Like Grass Knot. I thought it was just an attack to use against heavy opponents until I realized I could use it to stop an attack in a desparate situation."

"Well, we can read over that stuff when I get back later, then. I know most attacks inside and out these days."

"From your studying for the exam?" Rina asked. Melany nodded.

"Not as helpful as seeing the techniques in action, but enough that I'll be able to pass any attack-based questions with ease if I come across any." Melany said. "Anyway, I need to take off now. May will kill me if I'm late!"

"You know, you two are pretty serious for something that's supposedly just 'between friends'." Rina said, eying Melany suspiciously. "Are you sure you're not really a couple?"

"I'm just as surprised as you that she still wants to do this." Melany replied, rubbing the back of her head. "But after five months of 'dating', we would have definitely at least kissed by now if it was anything serious."

"How do I know you haven't?" Rina asked, raising an eyebrow.

Melany shrugged. "Take my word for it? Anyway, I'm taking Latios." Melany started for the door. "See you later."

Rina let out a sigh. "Have a good time then." She said to Melany just before she left the room. Once Melany was gone, Rina stood up from the chair and Pippi jumped down to the floor. "Well, guess we're finished here for now."

"-A mating ritual between the same gender humans, and just for fun at that!-" Pippi shook her head. "-What will you humans think of next?-"

* * *

Later, in the Lilycove-side dock at the old Team Aqua base...

_"Ok, I can do this. Its just a pokemon...just a pokemon..."_ Angela eyed the 'pokemon' in question nervously. A small, imp-like pokemon with bronze skin stood a few feet away from her, leering at her through the gold gems that formed the pokemon's eyes. Angela's huntail, Bitey, was lying on the floor between them, waiting to attack.

"All you have to do is attack her, Angela." May said, letting out a sigh. "I know you're afraid of ghost pokemon but this isn't that difficult!"

"I can handle it, I can handle it!" Angela replied, waving her arms frantically. "Bitey!" Bitey perked up, expecting to finally be ordered to attack. "Umm...I'm counting on you!"

_"She's no help at all."_ Bitey thought, rolling his eyes. Moving on his own, Bitey lunged toward the sableye, his jaws open to attack with Bite. Sableye raised her claws and slashed Bitey, knocking him off to the side before he could bite her.

_"This ghost thing is going to take a while."_ May thought, letting out another sigh. _"I even kept this one BECAUSE it didn't seem at all like a typical ghost pokemon, but somehow even without telling her it was a ghost she was afraid of Sableye. Maybe she just has some kind of ghost-pokemon-phobia?"_

While May contemplated this, Latios suddenly flew in through the main entrance with a blindfolded Melany riding on his back. May looked at her in shock and took out her pokenav to check the time, then let out a sigh of relief. "You're early today..."

"Didn't take as long to turn in your pokemon as I thought it would." Melany replied. She took off her blindfold and looked around the dock until she spotted the blonde-haired girl glaring at her and smiled wryly. "I see you're training Angela today..." She then looked at Sableye and asked, "So that's the ghost you kept? I didn't notice it was an unusual color though."

"You mean that's NOT a sableye's regular colors?" May asked, blinking in disbelief as she looked at Sableye as well. "I guess I should have known. If it was, people would probably be hunting Sableye in droves for its eyes..."

"-Bwee? But I need these eyes for seeing things!-" Sableye said, glancing around nervously.

_"You don't say."_ Latios thought, rolling his eyes.

"So how goes the training?" Melany asked. May opened her mouth to reply but Angela cut her off.

"We were doing fine until you showed up!" Angela growled. Hearing Angela, Bitey let out a low growl as well.

_"I barely know this girl and already she hates me."_ Melany thought, wincing. _"Why does it seem like I have that kind of an effect on people?"_

"Sorry about that..." May said apologetically, rubbing the back of her head. "Anyway, her pokemon have some really powerful water attacks. Or at least, they're able to put a surprising amount of power behind their water attacks. That's all she seems to be good with, though, and she can't handle ghosts." May then gestured toward the undamaged sableye.

"My water attacks are really strong! I bet I can take down whatever pokemon that is that you're riding!" Angela said to Melany, not recognizing the legendary pokemon Latios.

_"Melany, I would like nothing more than to put this child and her pokemon in their place."_ Latios said telepathically. Melany nodded in agreement and jumped down off his back.

"Well, why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" Melany suggested, then looked over at May. "May, since I'm early, mind if I battle Angela briefly?"

"Not at all!" May replied, smiling. "It'd be a good chance for you to see what she's already capable of."

"You talk as if she's already an accomplished trainer." Melany said as she moved next to May. Latios floated over toward the area of the dock where Sableye was standing.

"She might surprise you yet." May said, taking out a pokeball. "Ok, Sableye, that's good enough. Return." She said, recalling Sableye.

"Bitey, you're sitting this one out! Return!" Angela called out. Rather than returning her pokemon to his pokeball, Bitey just crawled over to her. Angela then reached into a small sack sitting on the floor next to her and took a pokeball out of it, then held it toward Latios. "Gorey! Come on!" Angela called out, releasing Gorey from her pokeball.

"-Finally!-" Gorey grumbled, wiggling around on the floor. "-Do I get to stab someone now?-"

"Gorey! Let's start by showing off your psychic powers! Confusion!" Angela called out, a malicious grin spreading across the young girl's lips. _"We'll trick them into lowering their guard, and then...hehehe!" _Gorebyss' eyes flashed and a telekinetic force thrust into Latios's body, but Latios didn't even flinch.

_"I...I'm sorry, you call that an attack?"_ Latios said telepathically, broadcasting to every trainer and pokemon in the room. _"I was expecting something big after all that talk."_

"Just wait, Angela might surprise you yet." May said, cautioning them.

_"Unless that 'surprise' involves an instant knockout technique that works on any pokemon, I doubt it."_ Melany thought, looking unimpressed.

"Now we'll get 'em! Gorey, use Whirlpool!" Gorey shot a stream of water from her thin mouth, swirling around Latios in a small whirlpool thar left his wings, tail, and head exposed. As the attack continued, though, water from the harbour was sucked up into it and soon Latios found himself trapped inside a giant twister of water.

"EH?! How can a weak pokemon like that control such a tremendous amount of water?!" Melany said in shock.

"See? I said she'd surprise you!" May said, giggling.

"This battle is our's now!" Angela said with a wide grin. Melany rolled her eyes.

"You surprised me...but thats about it." Melany said to Angela. "I'm ending this here. Latios, Psywave!" Beneath the torrent of water, Latios's eyes flashed blue and a wave of psychic energy shot out forward from his forehead. The water, in spite of its strength, was dispersed instantly. Gorey's turn was next, she winced as the invisible force struck her and was then suddenly flung back hard, crashing into a nearby crane and getting knocked out instantly.

"EEK! GOREY!" Angela shrieked. Angela and Bitey immediately rushed to Gorey's side, but there was nothing they could do. Since Angela wasn't an official trainer, she didn't carry the usual revives or potions.

_"It put up quite the offensive for such an untrained pokemon."_ Latios telepathically said to May and Melany. _"Still, there's no way I would fall to such a pitiful attack like Whirlpool!"_

"Oh well, guess that's that." May said with a shrug, then turned to Melany and smiled. "Well, I'm going to go get ready, you want to wait in the mess hall?"

Melany nodded. "Sure, I still need to get changed though." May nodded and then walked over to Angela and her pokemon.

"Angela, we're going now. You know the drill, stay out of the mess hall. Got it?"

"Fine..." Angela mumbled. She wasn't too thrilled about being told to stay out, but it happened everytime Melany and May were on a date. It was one of the reasons she almost immediately disliked Melany. Anytime Melany showed up meant she'd be left alone.

After speaking to Angela, May left through the exit at the far end of the dock area. Melany, meanwhile, took off her backpack and rummaged through it until she found a revive. She then approached Angela and held it out to her. Angela regarded the item suspiciously but eventually accepted it.

"Don't think for a second that I've forgiven you!" Angela spat, then used the revive to restore Gorey.

_"What do I need to be forgiven for, again?"_ Melany wondered, raising an eyebrow. She shrugged and then turned to Latios. "Latios, you feel like staying here and training with Angela a bit more? If Whirlpool is the best water-type attack her pokemon can pull off, she could definitely use it." Angela twitched and glared at Melany, but Melany had her back to the girl.

_"Very well."_ Latios replied, nodding his head slightly. _"I suppose its either that or sitting in a pokeball anyway. Seeing their pathetic attempts to attack me might even be good for a laugh."_

"Hrmph!" Angela pouted. "Just what's wrong with their attacks?!"

"Hmm..." Melany thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Well, they should still know Water Gun and Iron Defense for a start, try using those." She replied, glancing back over her shoulder at Angela. "With a bit of work, Gorey should be able to learn Agility and..erm...Bitey can learn Screech. That'd be a good place to start anyway."

"...Stupid know-it-all." Angela muttered.

"Well, I'll leave it to you, then." Melany said to Latios, then left the dock and went further into the base.

"I hope May dumps her." Angela muttered to herself and then stood up, Bitey and Gorey moving next to her. She grinned as she turned to face Latios. "Well, at least she left me a playmate to take out my frustration on." Bitey and Gorey snickered in unison.

Latios rolled his eyes and thought to himself, _"I'd be scared but they pose absolutely no threat to me whatsoever."_

"Bitey, you first! Bite it!" Angela called out. Bitey wriggled across the wet floor and launched himself at Latios, jaws open wide to bite the psychic pokemon. He never reached Latios, though, and instead found himself suspended mid-air and staring into Latios's glowing blue eyes. It was a Psychic attack. Bitey could then hear Latios speak to him in his mind.

_"No."_

* * *

Melany and May didn't take long to get ready for their date. Both of them were only getting changed, more or less, and neither into anything particularly fancy, and immediately arrived in the mess hall after. May wore a red tank top and a pair of white shorts while Melany wore a white t-shirt and blue jeans, only missing a vest from the outfit she used to wear as Alex. Though hardly symbolic by any means, Melany felt the attire to be at least somewhat appropriate for what they would be watching on this particular date.

"'Kyogre and Groudon - Clash of Titans'" May said, reading the dvd case aloud while she popped the dvd itself into the player. "'An epic tale of romance and adventure in the city of Sootopolis as the two young trainers May and Alex come up against their greatest challenges yet - the legendary pokemon themselves!'" May giggled to herself and sat on the edge of her bed. "I can't wait to see how this turned out!"

_"I can."_ Melany thought, sitting down next to her and folding her arms.

The mess hall had been set up as May's home within the base. All but a single table and most of the chairs had been piled up neatly against the back wall. Most of May's stuff had then been set up along the wall near the entrance, leading toward the kitchen and storage. May's bed faced out from the wall, with the tv and dvd player set up on a stand in front of it. A desk set up between the bed and the door held a laptop computer, which May could use from the bed.

Next to May's bed was another bed, usually used by Angela, then a small gap between them before a small dining area. The single table and the few chairs they had kept were set up there, followed by another small gap before the kitchen entrance and service window. May rarely used them, of course, usually eating on her bed instead. Meals usually consisted of takeout as May couldn't cook any better than Melany. Aside from the dining area and bed, there was also a dresser next to the tv where May's clothes were kept.

"You ok?" May asked Melany, turning to look at her. "You haven't said a word..."

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Melany replied, forcing a smile. "Watching what will undoubtedly be a wonderful movie with my beautiful girlfriend, why I couldn't be any happier!"

"You're still bitter over the actors, huh?" May asked, snickering.

"I've found about three mistakes and all that's showing so far are the ads." Melany replied, gesturing toward the tv. An ad for an upcoming movie about a giant robot wielding a gold hammer was being shown. "Somehow, I don't think that's a good sign for how the rest of the movie will play out..."

"Oh relax, its just a movie!" May said, pouting slightly.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure I'll enjoy it in one form or another." Melany said. May raised an eyebrow and was about to ask her what she meant but stopped when she heard the movie finally starting.

The scene opened with Archie and Team Aqua moving through the underwater cave. The grunts could be heard talking back and forth about how they were finally going to realize their dream. They then arrived in a wide open cavern and a shot of the sleeping Kyogre was shown before the scene shifted.

_"Meanwhile, a thousand miles away."_ Melany thought as the scene changed, rather predictably opening on Maxie and Team Magma gathered directly in front of a lava pool in another cavern. _"Naturally, being a team with 'magma' in the name grants them resistance to bursting into flames from being that close to lava."_

The scene then became split, showing both locations as Archie and Maxie held up the ruby and sapphire respectively. _"Simultaneous legendary pokemon awakening GO!"_ Melany thought, snickering to herself as the two team leaders did just that. The two titans awakened, releasing a flood of water or magma into their respective caverns as they let out a roar.

"What's so funny?" May asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Nothings even happening yet..."

"I beg to differ." Melany replied. "We now know they've killed off the teams, neither of us were there to try to stop them, AND Kyogre and Groudon awakened at the same time."

May sighed. "Should we just skip the movie this time?"

"Oh no, I'm having fun with this." Melany said. May blinked in confusion and then shrugged.

"If you say so..."

The next scene, after a title drop, was of Alex battling the gym leader Juan. Juan was played by himself, but the role of Alex was being played by a 13-year-old actor. It was rather jarring to see as the series was portraying Alex himself as a 10-year-old boy, rather than a 12-year-old crossdresser. May was still nowhere in sight. The boy's Swellow fiercely battled Juan's Kingdra over the water, a one-sided fight in Kingdra's favor.

"I have to win this battle!" The on-screen Alex thought, his actor saying the thoughts aloud for the viewer's benefit. "I have to prove I'm strong enough to be fighting by her side! To be her knight in shining armor!"

_"Oh...wow."_ Melany thought, rolling her eyes. _"So apparently Alex is just there to be May's love interest..."_

Alex's Swellow eventually got the upperhand on Juan's Kingdra, showing the first sign of historical accuracy since the film began by using Endeavour followed by Quick Attack. The only difference was Swellow actually connecting with Quick Attack rather than Juan surrendering and recalling his pokemon.

"Oh, right, like that strategy would really work on a gym leader." May said, rolling her eyes.

Melany smirked to herself. _"Apparently, reality can be pretty unrealistic at times. To be fair, he probably didn't expect it to endure a Hyper Beam and be left completely defenseless."_

After winning his badge, Alex met May outside the gym. Another large discrepency, Melany noted, as May was trying to stop Team Aqua at the time. It was also windy out and rainclouds had gathered overhead. The girl playing the part of May could have been considered one as well. She very much looked like a 14-year-old model, which would be the case as she was played by a 14-year-old actress.

_"'Have I mentioned I'm only 10 today?'"_ Melany thought, picturing the girl on screen saying it. _"It was hard enough to believe May was ten when I met her, but this is even more ridiculous."_

"I don't like her." May mumbled. Melany looked at her in shock.

"Eh? Why not?" Melany asked her.

"She just seems so...fake I guess?" May said, wrinkling her nose. "I just don't like how they wanted to portray me without any flaws at all..."

"Hmm..." Melany peered at her for a moment in contemplation and then said, "So, let me guess, you were turned down for the role of playing yourself because you're a flawed person?"

May sighed. "They didn't like how I kept snapping at 'Alex' instead of giggling like a little girl whenever he did something stupid."

"In other words, they didn't want to show your emotional side." Melany said. May nodded. Melany looked back at the screen. Alex was being a jerk to May, referring to her as 'princess' for reasons Melany couldn't begin to imagine. The movie version of May just took it, offering at most a pout but usually just giggling at him. Which just infuriated Alex.

"Yeah, definitely agree. Even though I really don't like being hit, you just wouldn't be as interesting if you didn't have a tendency to do that everytime you thought I was being perverted." Melany chuckled to herself. "Almost kind of paradoxical if you think about it..."

"Everytime I 'thought' you were being perverted?" May looked at her with her eyes narrowed and her arms folded in front of her. "I'll admit I probably overreacted a lot of those times, but you're far from innocent!"

"You're right, but that doesn't seem to bother you any." Melany said, smiling faintly.

"I tolerate it." May mumbled under her breath.

"By the way, why were you so eager to see this movie when you were turned down for the role of...well...yourself?" Melany glanced over at the screen for a moment. Kyogre and Groudon had shown up at Sootopolis, May and Alex were battling them, people were panicking, gym leaders and elite four were nowhere in sight. _"I don't think they even cared to get all the details right..."_

"Because I want to see if its any good!" May shot back, turning her attention back to the tv screen to watch the battle unfolding. "And I want to see if May and Alex will get together since that didn't work out between the REAL May and Alex for SOME reason!"

"Who says it didn't work out?" May blinked in disbelief and glanced over at Melany, only to get another surprise as the other girl put her arms around her. Melany pushed May back onto the bed and rolled over on top of her.

"M-Melany?"

"Shh..." Melany slowly leaned in closer to May, their faces moving closer together. May's eyes widened in shock and her cheeks turned red. Part of her wanted to push Melany away, part of her wanted Melany to do it.

_"Why do I feel like this?"_ May wondered, time seemingly slowing down as Melany's lips drew closer to her's. _"She's a girl, girls aren't supposed to kiss! Not me, not with her! So why...why can't I bring myself to stop her?"_

Just as it seemed like Melany was finally going to kiss her, she stopped and put a finger to May's lips instead and grinned down at her. "Just kidding!" Melany said, letting go of her and sitting up next to her. "A romantic like you would want your first kiss to be special anyway, not with a girl you're just dating for fun."

"Get out."

Melany blinked. "May?"

"I...I need to be alone right now..." May mumbled, rolling onto her side to face away from the other girl.

_"Might have gone a bit too far this time..."_ Melany thought, frowning. "Sorry...I'll go then." Melany got up from the bed and turned to leave, taking one last look at the tv screen and seeing Alex getting encased in ice after shielding May from Kyogre's Ice Beam. _"Right. Like they're going to kill him off in the middle of the movie."_ She thought, trying not to smile as she left the mess hall.

_"Just now...I didn't want that, did I? Her...kissing me?" _May wondered, then quickly shook her head. _"No way! I'm definitely not interested in girls, I'm interested in boys! If I wasn't, I wouldn't have picked up 'Steeling Against the Tide'!"_ May grinned and reached under the bed, pulling out the comic in question. It depicted Steven facing off against an evil Wallace on the front cover. A more combative story involving the pair.

_"...Wait, if there's comics pairing Steven and Wallace..."_ May pictured an image of Steven with an arrow pointing to Melany alongside a picture of Wallace with an arrow pointing to herself. Thinking about this, she found the scene of Melany almost kissing her replaying in her mind. She blushed and shook her head. _"No way! No one would write about that!"_

Letting out an exasperated sigh, May flopped back on her bed and placed her hands over her eyes. _"Why did she have to go and do THAT all of a sudden?"_

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the dock area, Angela and her two pokemon were all panting heavily from exhaustion while Latios seemed to be almost completely unharmed.

_"You aren't giving up, are you? I barely got a workout out of this."_ Latios said telepathically.

"Grr...what kind of pokemon ARE you to shrug off all our attacks like that?!" Angela growled. Bitey and Gorey nodded, glaring at him.

"He's the legendary pokemon Latios." Melany explained as she entered the room, having overheard them.

"Legendary pokemon...hmph. Meanie." Angela pouted. "What are you doing back so soon anyway?"

"That's none of your business." Melany replied, placing her hands behind her head as she walked over to Latios.

_"Problem?"_ He asked her privately.

"I might have screwed up, actually." She admitted sheepishly, speaking quietly so Angela wouldn't hear her. "I'm not too worried though."

_"Oh?"_ Latios raised an eye curiously.

"Well, she got over it when she found out I was really a girl." Melany said with a shrug. "After that, I'm not too worried about her getting worked up over a joke."

* * *

Author's Notes: Was going to focus more on that movie originally, having Melany esentially MST it, but couldn't seem to get it to 'flow' right. There's still a bit of that there anyway. And I think it might be a while before Melany and May's relationship gets anywhere at this point, no?

You might notice I've been using lowercase for pokemon species now. I realized some point after reading either Canon Rape by Bittersweetromanticide or Unoriginality: An Original Trainer Story by Karla (can't remember which, both pretty much seem to meld together in my head even though Canon Rape deals more with the anime) that it actually didn't make much sense to capitalize them unless you're referring to an individual. It'd be the same as referring to 'Dogs' or 'Cats' really. Capitalization should only be used for a specific dog or cat. Like if you're referring to Pikachu from the anime rather than pikachu as a species. I actually read those fics a while ago but only now breaking the habit since pokemon species (along with every random item or berry) is capitalized ingame.

Next chapter will focus on the Kanto group again since I don't expect to get a full chapter out of either of those stories. This will be followed by the final pre-Sinnoh sidestory and, hopefully, posting the first Sinnoh chapter on the same day.


	20. Chapter 20: Hot Date

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Twenty**

**Hot Date**

Date: 2 years, 5 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Standing at the highest peak, Ashley could see only one thing: devastation. The entire island of Cinnabar had been wiped out, or at least the city that used to be there. The volcano she now stood on top of had erupted recently and lava flowed over almost every square inch of the island, leaving it looking like a giant volcano in the middle of the sea. The volcano had calmed down since then, though, so Ashley was safe where she was while she took photos of the scene.

_"I can't believe the entire city that was here was just wiped out overnight."_ Ashley thought, snapping photos of the scenery. Several other trainers were on the island, checking the place out. _"Well, at least no one was injured..." _

Ashley was about to line up another shot, aiming for the remains of the pokemon center near the outskirts, but paused for a moment when she overheard two girls talking nearby.

"Hey! Did you hear? The Viridian City gym leader was seen here today!" The first girl said to her friend.

"Really? I hear he's totally cool and handsome-looking!" Her friend said, giggling.

"Cool and handsome?" Ashley pondered aloud, blinking in disbelief. "Are they talking about Giovanni?" As Ashley said this she heard what sounded like someone falling down and turned to see Gary lying on the ground nearby. "Oh, you're here too, Gary?"

"Yes, I'm here 'too'." Gary grumbled, getting up and dusting himself off. "What are you doing here, anyway? Isn't taking pictures of pokemon supposed to be your thing?"

"Ah, well, I haven't been getting as many lately. I think I've 'caught' them all, in a way." Ashley replied, smiling sheepishly.

"Tch. You have too much free time on your hands."

"And what about you? Why are you here?" Ashley asked him.

Gary shrugged. "I've got my reasons."

_"Always trying to act cool."_ Ashley thought, rolling her eyes. Ashley turned her attention away from Gary, focusing her camera on what remained of the pokecenter again. Curious, Gary followed the direction of her camera to see what she was taking a picture of.

"You know, I heard they're going to rebuild that. Land's flat enough there and trainers passing through need a place to rest their pokemon." Gary said to her.

"Oh? Makes sense I guess..." Ashley said, taking a picture of the scene. Gary rubbed the back of his head, pondering what he could say to her.

"So, uh, what have you been up to these days? I haven't seen you around since the time you dragged Red to the gym." He said, turning away out of embarassment.

"Well, like I said, I've captured them all at this point. Multiples of some" Ashley replied with a shrug, her attention on her digital camera's screen to see how the picture turned out. "I'm not seeing anyone at the moment either, so I've been thinking it might be a good time to check out the Sinnoh region. I bet there's no shortage of pokemon there that I haven't even seen before."

"Not seeing anyone...at the moment?" Gary raised an eyebrow, glancing back at her. "So you HAVE been dating? Who, Red? Brock?"

Ashley shook her head. "No one you'd know, not likely anyway. Usually guys I meet in a club or out taking pictures." She lowered her camera and turned around to face him. "Why, do I need your approval or something?" She added, snickering.

"No." Gary replied, rolling his eyes. "Seriously though, you're just dating complete strangers?" He asked, finally turning to face her again.

"That's kinda the idea of dating them, to get to know them. And then if things don't work out we both move on with our lives." Ashley shrugged. "Most people don't find Mr. Right on their first try."

"You say that, but haven't you been pushing Red and Rina together?"

"Well I think it'll work out between them, don't you?"

Gary shrugged. "I barely know Rina. Besides, why do you care so much about getting them together in the first place?"

"They're my friends, Rina wasn't likely to make a move on her own, and Red was too detached from other humans period. All I did was give them a little push so they'd start talking and getting to know each other, its not like I set them up."

"Oh?" Gary smirked. "So, if you were to try it, who would you consider pairing me with?"

"Hmm..." Ashley pondered for a moment and then shrugged. "Your right hand?" Gary nearly fell over again.

"ASHLEY!"

Ashley snickered. "Seriously though, the best you could probably do would be one of your fangirls. And you're not likely to get a meaningful, lasting relationship out of someone more interested in being able to say they're sleeping with Gary Oak. Anyone else would probably be driven off by your personality."

"Tch. You can't expect to lump everyone into two categories like that." Gary said indignantly, folding his arms in front of him.

"Well then, who would you suggest?" Ashley asked him. Gary looked away, pondering for a moment and rubbing the back of his neck.

"You uh...you doing anything Friday?"

Ashley blinked and raised an eyebrow at him. "Gary Oak...are you asking ME out on a date?"

"Yeah, is there a problem with that?"

"Hmph." Ashley narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms. "If you had asked me a few years ago it would have been a flat out 'no'. But," she shrugs, "you've changed, so I suppose I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

"So...that a yes?" He asked, glancing back nervously.

"You have one date to prove you can be a decent guy, sound fair?"

"Its a date, then." Gary turned and held out his hand to her and the two of them shook on it. Nearby, the two fangirls Ashley had overheard earlier cried out in anguish at seeing the object of their affection agreeing to the date.

* * *

Date: 2 years, 7 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Two days passed and Gary and Ashley met up for their date. However, as Ashley would find out, it wouldn't quite be what one would expect from a date.

"A water pokemon tourney at the Fuschia City beach..." Ashley, wearing a green two-piece swimsuit, glanced over at Gary with a raised eyebrow. He was standing next to her, wearing only a pair of blue swimming trunks. "I wish I could say this was unexpected, and in a way it is, but somehow I knew pokemon would be involved somehow..."

"Is that a bad thing?" He asked her, his voice sounding a bit nervous.

"I'll reserve my opinion until after the date." Ashley replied, her face void of any hints of her opinion. "But if I think for even a second that this was an excuse to get me in a swimsuit, that'll be minus ten points."

Gary winced. _"She's keeping score!? I better keep my guard up."_ He thought, then said to her, "Whats the big deal about a swimsuit? I'm just as exposed as you are!"

"True, I suppose." Ashley's eyes roamed over Gary's upperbody for a moment, noticing a slight muscular build that she didn't recall Gary having. "You look like you've been working out."

Gary shrugged. "Bruno's advice, says trainers need to be in shape just as much as their pokemon do."

"Ah, that..." Ashley smirked. "Well, anyway, whats first on the agenda?"

"The battles don't start for about half an hour yet. I figured we'd grab some food from the shack and then watch the match." Gary said, then glanced over at her curiously. "Or we could get our food and register for the tourney, up to you."

"Hey, I came prepared when I heard there was a water tourney." Ashley said, tapping two pokeballs on the belt around her waist. "You better be entering too, though. It won't be any fun if we don't get to battle each other."

"Oh, don't worry." Gary tapped his own pokeballs. "You're not the only one who thought ahead."

Gary and Ashley headed over to a small, wooden shack where a barbecue was set up. They grabbed a hot dog and soda each, which Gary paid for, and then headed toward the water where a small stand was set up to register for the tourney. They signed up, then found a place on the sand to sit down and eat while they waited for it to start.

Out in the water, several trainers were practicing for the tourney. Not one of them seemed to be older than twelve. At least two participants, a young girl and boy wearing inner tubes, even seemed younger than ten. The pokemon they were training were mostly weak pokemon such as goldeen, magikarp, marill, and horsea. Out a bit further, a pikachu on a surfboard kept a close watch.

"Hmph. Doesn't look like there's much competition." Gary said, his voice muffled after taking a fairly large bite of his hot dog.

_"I hate to say it, but Gary might be right. It really seems like its just local trainers taking part."_ Ashley thought. Looking around the beach she noticed there seemed to be a lot more trainers in the same age range as the ones practicing in the water, many accompanied by their parents or older siblings. "Yeah, starting to feel a bit guilty for entering now..." She muttered under her breath.

"Heh heh heh! Easy win for me again this week!" Ashley and Gary glanced back, and Gary immediately cringed. Standing behind them, near the registration stand, was a man that looked to be in his early twenties wearing swimming cap and goggles, and a speedo that left little to the imagination. He seemed to be surveying the competition but took no notice of Ashley and Gary.

"Hmph..." Gary stood up suddenly and held out his hot dog and soda to Ashley. "Mind holding this for a minute?" He asked, but didn't wait for a response before handing them to her and heading toward the stand.

"H-hey! You better not be signing up!" The man said nervously, recognizing Gary. After talking to the officials overseeing the tourney, Gary returned to where Ashley was sitting.

"Fifteen competitors. Seems like you're going to be against that guy in the first round." Gary said to her. "And I was 'lucky' enough to be sitting out the first round."

"Well thats an interesting turn of events." Ashley said, though she gave Gary a suspicious glance, suspecting he might have had something to do with the rather convenient arrangements, but said nothing on the matter. "How long until it starts then?" She asked instead.

"Only a few minutes now, but you're in the third match." He said to her. Ashley nodded and handed his hot dog and soda back to him.

"Y-you're entering too?!" The speedo-clad man said frantically, pointing a finger at Ashley. His 'easy win' was slipping away from him now, having the ex-Elite Four Champion Gary and the Regional Champion Ashley to deal with.

"And it seems we'll be battling in the first round." Ashley said, flashing an innocent smile. "Good luck!" The man lowered his arm to his side and let out a whimper. He slowly slinked away and Ashley waited until he was out of earshot to talk to Gary.

"So, I'm thinking whoever wins between the two of us forfeits the next match?" Ashley asked Gary. Gary, scarfing down the rest of his hot dog, nodded in agreement. Ashley looked down at her own, which only had a few bites taken out of it, and took another rather large bite from it.

"That's the plan, it'd be no challenge for us to take the top spots anyway and its not like the prize money matters much to us."

"True." Ashley thought for a moment. "But then, that doesn't make it very interesting for us, does it?"

"Huh?" Gary raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, we get to battle each other and that's it." Ashley replied with a shrug. "I just think we should make it more interesting than that."

"And what do you suggest, then?"

Ashley grinned. "A bet. The winner will get something from the loser."

"Oh?" Gary grinned very widely. "In that case, if I win, I want a kiss."

"A kiss, huh?" Ashley snickered. "Well, in that case, I want to see if you live up to the 'Oak' family name."

Gary raised an eyebrow. _"What's that supposed to mean?"_ He wondered. Pondering for a moment, his mind wandered to the tree aspect of his name and his face immediately began to redden. _"D-did she mean...?"_

"Hmm?" Ashley blinked, noticing Gary's reaction, then snickered. "What's wrong, Gary? Your face is getting all red and you seem to be pitching a tent!"

"EH?!" Gary glanced down and immediately covered himself with his arms, spilling some of his soda onto the sand. He gritted his teeth and glared at Ashley. "You! You know exactly what's wrong!"

_"His mind totally went straight to the gutter!"_ Ashley thought, giggling to herself. Shaking her head, she looked back out toward the water where trainers were still practicing.

_"Still, I don't think I've ever been this relaxed out on a date before. I've never been able to joke around with or tease a guy like I can with Gary because I'm always worried about how they might react."_ She smiled to herself and looked at Gary from out of the corner of her eye. He had calmed down enough to uncover himself and down his soda. _"I can't believe I'm thinking this, but he's already earned a few points in his favor..."_

Time passed. Ashley finally finished her own hot dog and soda before the tourney finally started, at which point the practicing trainers cleared out of the water and the first two trainers took their place in the water to battle. Ashley and Gary watched the matches while waiting for Ashley's own match.

The first match involved a blonde-haired boy under the age of ten, battling against an older blonde-haired girl in a pink bikini. The two of them seemed to be brother and sister, and were confirmed by the tourney's announcer to be such. The boy was using a goldeen and the girl a seaking. She took it easy on him at the start of the battle, which she would regret later. The younger boy's goldeen managed to confuse her seaking, leaving it unable to fight back at a crucial moment. The boy's goldeen finished it with a Peck attack and moved on to the next round.

The second match had a trainer in a green scout's uniform battling from the shore against another boy wearing swimming trunks. Both boys looked to be about the same age. The first battled using a krabby, the second used a tentacool. The match wasn't even close as the first boy's krabby knocked out the tentacool with only a single Vice Grip attack. The krabby's trainer moved on to the next round.

Finally, Ashley's match had arrived. She met the opposing trainer, a male swimmer by the name of Matthew, out in the water for her match. Matthew was looking pretty nervous to be battling her, knowing full well he stood little chance of winning.

"H-hey, any chance you could take it easy on me?!" He asked nervously, holding a pokeball in his hand.

Ashley took a pokeball from her belt and shook her head. "Not a chance. Poliwrath, go!" Ashley held out the pokeball and released Poliwrath into the knee-deep water. The water and fighting-type pokemon appeared with a gleam in his eyes and a focus band wrapped around his head. Matthew gulped nervously and sent out his own pokemon, a poliwhirl.

"-Hihi! I'll be beating you now!-" Poliwrath said cheerfully. The poliwhirl rolled its eyes, unimpressed by Poliwrath's childlike antics.

"This looks like an uneven match for Matthew! Will he be able to keep up his winning streak this week?!" The announcer's voice echoed excitedly. "Trainers, begin match!"

"P-Poliwhirl, Body Slam!" Matthew commanded his pokemon. With a determined expression, Poliwhirl lowered itself into the water and swam toward Poliwrath.

"Poliwrath, catch it!" Matthew's Poliwhirl jumped out of the water as it approached Poliwrath, attempting to jump on top of him. Poliwrath caught the poliwhirl by surprise by catching it before it could hit. "Now, toss it straight up!" Poliwrath complied with Ashleys command, using his strength to throw Poliwhirl straight up into the air.

"And this is where we finish this! Ice Punch!" Frost began to surround Poliwrath's fist as he prepared to attack. Poliwhirl helplessly fell back down toward him, helpless as Poliwrath delivered a perfectly-aimed punch and sent Poliwhirl sailing through the air back toward its trainer. Ice surrounded the poliwhirl almost immediately on contact with Poliwrath's fist, leaving it encased in a transparent block of ice when it reached its trainer. Inside the ice, Poliwhirl was completely unconscious.

"WHOA! The previous champ falls just like that to an amazing combo from Ashley, Kanto's regional champion!" The announcer said. The small crowd gathered on the beach let out a cheer. Matthew recalled his pokemon and quickly fled the scene.

"Guess that guy's pokemon was just no match for you, right Poliwrath?" Ashley asked her pokemon. Poliwrath nodded enthusiastically. "Ok, that's it for now then." She then said, recalling her pokemon and returning to where Gary was seated on the beach.

"Tch, you finished that way too quickly." Gary said to her as she sat down next to him.

"What difference does it make?" Ashley asked. Gary remained silent, having no response.

Four more matches played out in the water for the first round. A girl with a marill won the match after Ashley's, surprising her opponent with its strong Tackle and Rollout attacks to knock out the opponent's poliwag. The next match was won by a trainer with a magikarp that knew Flail. After fighting with weak tackles and enduring harsh blows, it defeated the other trainer's horsea with one move. Two staryus fought in the sixth match. One knew Thunderbolt and gained an easy victory as a result. The final match pitted a shellder against a slowpoke, but the battlers were forced to drop out after the shellder ignored its trainer's orders and bit the slowpoke's tail. The slowpoke evolved into slowbro, leaving the two trainers to dispute who owned the now evolved pokemon.

"Well, with that surprising turn of events, we now move onto the second round!" The event's announcer said over a loudspeaker resting next to the stand. "We're now down to seven trainers, which means yet another trainer gets to sit out this round. By random draw, Cynthia and her marill will be sitting out until the next round and Gary will be battling with a gyarados in the second match against Ashley, who has registered a pelipper for the next round."

"That doesn't sound all that random." Ashley said, giving Gary an accusing look.

"What's the deal with you using...whatever the heck a pelipper is, anyway?" Gary asked her, ignoring the look she was giving him.

"I traded with May for it recently, giving her my Vaporeon in return. Neither were pokemon that were exactly attached to us, and I thought it'd be nice to have at least one flight-capable water pokemon." Ashley grinned. "She was pretty eager to make that trade, too."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the old Aqua Hideout's dock...

"May! No fair! Our Whirlpool attacks aren't hurting that pokemon at all!" Angela whined.

"-Not fair!-" Bitey and Gorey said in agreement. Both pokemon were facing off against May's recently obtained vaporeon.

"Sorry, but that's the way it goes!" May said, grinning from ear to ear. "Hehehe! I can't believe Ashley actually traded me one of Eevee's evolved forms for Pelipper!"

_"And I can't believe how childish May's behaving for owning me."_ Vaporeon thought, rolling his eyes. _"Really, May, just admit it. This battle isn't about teaching Angela about pokemon with 'water absorb'. It's about showing off your new toy, which I take offense to I might add..."_

Angela blinked. "What's an...eevee?" she asked. May and Vaporeon stared at her in shock.

* * *

"Heh." Gary shrugged. "You could probably get anything you want from most girls just by trading them one of Eevee's evolved forms, or even just an eevee. Heck, giving them one of those rare silver eevees would be like buying them a diamond engagement ring!"

"So does that mean I can expect you to catch me a silver eevee?" Ashley asked, grinning. Gary's eyes widened, realizing too late that he walked right into that.

"Now for the first match in the second round! Daniel and Luc, take to the water!" The announcer blared. Luc, the young blonde boy, quickly moved out into the water with his goldeen while Daniel, the boy dressed more for camping than swimming, stood on the shore and released his krabby.

Luc's Goldeen was off to a good start in the battle against Krabby. Using its greater speed and maneuverability in the water, making hit and runs against Krabby. Eventually, though, the krabby was able to deliver a devastating blow. Waiting for Goldeen to get in close, Krabby clamped down on it hard with one of its claws in a powerful Guillotine, knocking Goldeen out instantly. Luc was eliminated from the tourney and Daniel moved on to the next round.

"An amazing comeback by Daniel and Krabby, ladies and gentlemen! Next up, Viridian City gym leader Gary versus Regional Champion Ashley!" The announcer signalled the next match and Ashley and Gary got up and moved out into the water to battle. The crowd cheered, eager to see their match.

"Ok! Let's not waste any time, here!" Gary said, taking a pokeball in his hand. "Gyarados, come on out!" The pokeball opened and a gyarados materialized in the water, partially coiled in the water with half the length of its body sticking straight into the air. The gyarados roared, announcing its presence.

"Looks like I'll have an advantage in this match, Gary just doesn't know it yet!" Ashley thought with a smirk as she took a pokeball in hand. "Pelipper, go!" She called out, releasing a four-foot-tall bird pokemon into the air. The pokemon had a large, pale-orange beak that made up most of its body. Its back and wings were covered in white feathers, with bright green feathers on its head and the tips of its wings.

"-Woo! My first battle with my new trainer!-" Pelipper raised one wing excitedly, forgetting briefly that it needed to keep flapping them to stay in the air and falling into the water as a result.

_"Oh man, this is her pokemon?"_ Gary thought, rolling his eyes. _"I want to win but I don't want it to be easy, sheesh."_

"Gary debuts with the powerful and fierce gyarados, and Ashley changes things up with a foreign pokemon known as pelipper! This should be quite a match, folks! The battle begins now!"

"Gyarados, Dragon Dance!"

"Pelipper, fly up and hit it with Shock Wave!"

Gyarados roared and a mystical red aura surrounded his body, increasing his strength and speed. Pelipper, meanwhile, flapped its wings to get back into the air. It then briefly brought them together to fire a planar blast of electricity that spread out in a wave. Gyarados growled in pain as the electricity passed through its body, but it only had to endure the attack briefly.

_"Shock Wave will inflict a lot of damage on Gary's gyarados, but it'd be even stronger if I could attack from above and hit with a larger portion of the attack."_ Ashley thought. _"Too bad that'd hit the water, too, and I don't think either me or Gary could survive the shock we'd get as a result..."_

"An electric attack? Didn't see that coming." Gary muttered. "Ok, Gyarados, defensive Twister!" Gyarados roared and summoned a twister around himself. A veil of wind surrounded Gyarados body, inflicting some damage on himself in the process. The Twister drew up water as well, and soon Gyarados had a towering water spout protecting his body.

_"Gary's using that move too?"_ Ashley thought, staring in disbelief. _"Rina, looks like you started a trend. And with that wall of water I can't risk using Shock Wave without the possibility of it reach me or Gary through the water now. So much for that."_

"Pelipper, start using Stockpile!"

"Gyarados, dive and start using Dragon Dance again!"

Gary's Gyarados dove down, stretching its long body out to fully submerge himself. The water then gave off a red glow while it continued to draw out power. Pelipper, likewise, began to power up. Using the Stockpile technique, it began to gather energy in its beak. The already large beak began to expand, which also gave it increased defenses.

"Both trainers are being cautious, what will their next move be?!"

_"Attacking the announcer's stand sounds tempting."_ Ashley and Gary both thought, glaring in the announcer's direction. Both trainers would let their pokemon continue to power up a little longer, with Ashley making the first move after Pelipper had stored as much energy as it could.

_"Ok, if I use Spit Up now, Gyarados will just dodge it and knock Pelipper out once its defense is back to normal."_ Ashley thought. _"Pelipper won't be able to do much until Gary's Gyarados is ready to attack though. Wish I had time to teach Pelipper more attacks, I was counting on Shock Wave to win this match. Should I use Tail Wind? ...No, Gyarados is way too fast for it to make any difference. Let's try Mist then."_

"Pelipper, use Mist now!" Ashley called out. Pelipper opened its mouth slightly to spread the mist, but quickly closed it again when the stored energy began to spurt out. "Err...nevermind then. Just replace that energy for now and we'll wait this out." Pelipper nodded and stored more energy in its beak, replacing the small amount that had escaped.

_"So much for that, then."_ Ashley thought, wincing. _"Mistake number two, I didn't take any time to practice with this one. Really wish Pelipper could have learned Thunderbolt now instead of Shock Wave..."_

"Alright, let's see how you handle THIS tactic, Ashley!" Gary suddenly called out while his Gyarados was still gathering power. "Gyarados, Twister! Aim big!" Gyarados stopped using Dragon Dance and suddenly rose up out of the water, letting out a roar. A twister spread out from Gyarados body and expanded, hiding the serpent in a water spout again.

"I bet he's expecting me to waste my attack on that spout, but I won't fall for that." Ashley thought with a smirk. As the spout continued to expand outward, Ashley was forced to cover her face as water rained down around her. "Hey! Just what are you trying to do?!" Ashley yelled.

"You'll see!" Gary called back. The spout continued to expand for a moment longer until it finally collapsed, sending so much water raining down that everyone was briefly blinded.

"Damn it, Gary! What was that supposed to accomplish?!" Ashley said through clenched teeth. When the water finally stopped and Ashley could see again, Gyarados was nowhere in sight. "What the?!"

"Surprised?" Gary said, grinning. "That was my Gyarados's disappearing act. You can try to figure out where it went, but in the meantime Gyarados will be setting itself up to attack with Ice Fang!"

"Where it went? Well that should be easy." Ashley immediately scanned the water, looking for any sign of Gyarados. Part of its body would have been sticking out in the knee-deep water that Ashley and Gary were standing in, so Ashley looked further out to sea. _"...Is it out there? But I should be able to see it before it attacks if it is."_ she thought.

"You won't find it if you're looking in the water." Gary said to her, then pointed up. "Why not try up there?"

"Up?" Ashley blinked and looked up in time to get a glimpse of Gyarados flying straight down, just before it clamped its ice-coated fangs down onto Pelipper's body and drove it straight down through the water and into the ground. "What?! No way!" Ashley shrieked on shock.

"Haven't you ever wondered why gyarados is considered a flying-type pokemon, Ashley?" Gary said with a smug grin. "Most people don't realize this, since gyarados spends all of its time in water, but gyarados is really a flying serpent!"

"So its just like Rayquaza!" Ashley thought, blinking. "He caught me and Pelipper both by surprise..."

Gyarados rose up out of the water, its tail keeping Pelipper pressed into the sandy bottom. With its immense strength boosted by Dragon Dance, Pelipper was completely helpless and couldn't get free.

"Gyarados, finish this now with Return!" Gary commanded. His gyarados finally lifted its tail, only to slam it back down again so quickly that Pelipper didn't have time to move. Gyarados slammed his tail down, thinking happy thoughts to inspire strength in himself and crushing Pelipper with that strength. Pelipper's beak instantly deflated as Pelipper lost consciousness, the energy seeping out of its body.

Ashley blinked in disbelief and scratched the back of her head. _"That marks the second time this week that Gary caught me off guard."_ She thought, taking out Pelipper's pokeball and recalling her pokemon. _"And the first time was when he asked me out..."_

"That's it, folks! In another surprising turn of events, the gym leader has managed to beat the champion in a one on one match!" The announcer said, declaring the match. "With that, Gary moves on to the next..."

"Not so fast." Gary said. "I'm going to be dropping out now." He held his arms out and shrugged. "It just wouldn't be fair for anyone else to have to go up against me."

"What sportsmanship!" The announcer exclaimed. "You heard it for yourself, folks! After an incredibly match, Gary and Ashley are both out of the tourney!"

_"I still can't believe I actually lost to him."_ Ashley thought, letting out a sigh. She headed for the shore, returning to the same spot she was sitting at before. Gary met up with her there after recalling his Gyarados and was grinning as he approached her.

"Now then, didn't we have a little bet?" He said to her. "I think you owe me something, now!"

"Oh, right, that." Ashley shrugged and moved closer to Gary, then gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey! I meant on the lips!" Gary said indignantly.

"Then you should have said that before." Ashley replied, smiling sweetly. "Now you'll have to wait until you take me out on a REAL date before you get anywhere with that."

"Sheesh, and after what you wanted from me?"

"Whatever are you talking about? Why, I was only asking to see your pokedex!"

Gary blinked in disbelief and then shook his head. "You...you're one heck of a tease, you know that?"

"Well aware, Gary, well aware." Ashley replied, then sat back down in the sand to watch the rest of the match. Gary sat down next to her and the two remained silent for a moment while they watched the next two trainers battle. It was only after sitting down that Gary fully realize what Ashley had said.

"Wait a minute...when you say to take you out on a 'real' date...do you mean...?" He asked, looking over at her.

"It means what you think it means." Ashley replied without looking. "I'm willing to go out on a second date with you, Gary, though I can hardly believe it myself..."

"Score." Gary thought, grinning to himself.

"By the way, Gary..." Ashley glanced over at him. "I never did ask but...what were you doing at Cinnabar the other day?"

"Err...well..." Gary considered his response for a moment. He didn't want to admit that the incident at Cinnabar had him thinking about the relationship between humans and nature, about how natural disasters had the potential to wipe out human lives in an instant. "I was...just making sure all the trainers showing up there were safe, that's all."

"Hmm..." Ashley thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Ok, if you say so. At least you didn't say something corny like, 'it must have been fate'." Ashley snickered and Gary rolled his eyes.

The two trainers stuck around to watch the tourney to its conclusion before going their separate ways. It would end on an even more surprising conclusion, the trainer with the magikarp being the one to win out in the end in spite of facing a Thunderbolt-wielding staryu in the finals. For the rest of the spectators, it was a day they wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

Author's Notes: Originally there was going to be a second "hot date" included in this chapter, but it didn't really fit in as well as I thought it would. So, with that said, this week I'm hoping to get two sidestory chapters done since the last one will probably end up being relatively short. The next chapter I have planned would be a mini-chapter involving a brief scene at Mt. Silver, followed by one more chapter before the beginning of the Sinnoh Saga. Chapter 21 I'll probably put up as soon as its finished, Chapter 22 will be next Sunday's chapter along with, if all goes well, the first chapter of the Sinnoh Saga. I have that chapter started and probably about half-way done or close to.

Anyway, as for this chapter, I really wanted to include the eruption at Cinnabar Island in some way. It erupts a year before the events of G/S/C and, apparently, no one is hurt. At first, this didn't make sense to me. Sure, there would have been plenty of warning, but some people tend to be very, very stubborn about leaving their homes. But then I thought "what about Blaine?" No doubt Blaine's pokemon were quite in tune with the volcano. If Blaine said his pokemon knew the volcano would erupt, people would probably sing a different tune and be on the first boat off the island. The mass exodus of wild Rattata, Koffing/Weezing, and Grimer/Muk would probably be pretty convincing too.

Also, feel free to mark in your books the first official couple in this series. Well, main character couple. First couple, technically, was Wally and Suzy, two secondary characters. Suzy latched on to Wally immediately, Wally eventually gave in.


	21. Chapter 21: Mask and Ice

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Twenty One**

**Mask and Ice**

Date: 2 years, 3 months, 12 days after the Sanctuary's completion.

Rina sighed contentedly. "Ahh...this feels so good..."

"-Rina...? How do we end up doing this everytime we're here?-" Pippi asked her, floating on her back through the water.

"Because its so cold!" Rina replied, splashing water at Pippi. The two of them were enjoying a dip in a hot spring dug out by Red himself, and heated by Red's Charizard blowing flames into the water from the other side. It was one of their many visits to see Red at Mt. Silver and, like previous visits, they ended up relaxing in the hot springs. They weren't on top of the mountain like Red was as it was constantly snowing outside, but inside the mountain. A wall was even carved out of stone to give Rina privacy while she was there.

"-Shouldn't we be training with him, though?-" Pippi asked her. Rina pouted at her.

"But its cold and snowy up there. Besides, aren't you the one supposed to be teaching someone a new technique?"

Pippi blinked. "-Am I?-"

"You're supposed to be showing your mother how to use Volt Tackle!" Rina yelled, startling Pippi so much she nearly drowned. She struggled in the water until she made it to the edge and pulled herself out.

"-I totally and completely forgot!-" Pippi shrieked, flailing her tiny arms. "-Mom's totally going to kill me! I have to go!-" Pippi then bolted, rounding the stone wall and disappearing.

Rina sighed. "Well at least she'll get some training out of it." She looked off in the direction Pippi ran. "I wonder how everyone else is getting along with Red's pokemon?"

"-Shouldn't you be up there yourself?-" Red's Charizard growled. "-Red endures the cold to train his pokemon instead of relaxing in hot water and it wouldn't hurt for you to get a stronger yourself, pipsqueak.-"

"DON'T CALL ME PIPSQUEAK!" Rina yelled at him. Charizard just snorted.

"-Its true. For a human the same age Red was when we first met, you're short. And Ashley had much bigger breasts at that time, I might add.-"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM A POKEMON!" She shrieked, reflexively covering herself with her arms. "I-I'm still growing anyway! And its not like I'm completely flat!"

Charizard grinned at her. "-I don't know why they're so important to you humans, but mentioning them gets you riled up everytime.-"

"Stupid fire pokemon..." Rina mumbled, pouting.

"Seems to be quite the commotion over here. Perhaps one of you could tell me where I might find the one known as Red?" Rina blinked when she heard a voice behind her and slowly turned her head. She shrieked when she saw who was standing behind her and Charizard snorted angrily, flames shooting out his nose. The boy standing behind her looked to be in his early teens, though it was hard for Rina to tell for sure. He had long, blonde hair, a white mask, and was wearing a Team Rocket outfit. He seemed younger than she did at any rate, but Rina still looked like the younger of the two.

"Wh-who are you and what do you want with Red?!"

"You may call me the Masked Rocket, and what I want with Red is of no concern to you." The boy replied calmly. "I believe he is training on top of this mountain, but perhaps you can confirm for me?" Rina glared at him and remained silent. The Masked Rocket got the message. "Very well, have it your way." The rocket then left the springs, continuing on his way to the top of the mountain. Rina let out a sigh of relief once he was gone.

"What was that all of a sudden? I thought Team Rocket had disbanded..."

"-Shouldn't you be worried about Red?!-" Charizard growled.

"Why? Red's one of the strongest trainers there is." Rina said, turning to face Charizard again. "If that Masked Rocket guy wants to cause trouble then Red will beat him up, squeeze any information on Team Rocket out of him, and then turn him in."

Charizard growled quietly and looked up. "-I'm still worried. If something happens and I'm not there, I would never be able to forgive myself.-"

"Fine, I kinda want to see this too." Rina replied, then pulled herself out of the water. She shivered when she felt the cool cave air against her body, but Charizard then let out a short stream of flames from his mouth and almost instantly the air warmed up from the intense heat of the flames.

"Thanks." Rina sighed in relief. "Just give me a minute to get dressed..."

* * *

Meanwhile, outside on the top of the mountain, Red was training his pokemon alongside Rina's in the driving snow that fell almost constantly at the top. There was a brief pause in their training, though. Rina's Rattata, Rick, was evolving while the rest of the pokemon watched. Rick's body grew larger and fatter, his whiskers becoming longer as he evolved into raticate. Pippi arrived on the scene just as Rick finished evolving.

"-Oh, cool! You evolved!-" Pippi said as she came to a stop next to Rick.

"-'Ey, watch that word up here. Its cool enough as it is!-" Rick said to her. Pippi rubbed the back of her head.

"Well that's one down, two to go." Red said to himself, glancing over at Rina's doduo and omanyte. Berry and Deoxys, the legendary pokemon that Rina chose to bring with her this time, were the other pokemon of Rina's accompanying them on the mountain. Red scanned the group of pokemon gathered and then clapped his hands together.

"Alright, everyone, let's get back to it!" Red's pokemon nodded in agreement and Rina's pokemon, aside from Deoxys and Pippi, groaned in displeasure. Red's pokemon immediately moved off on their own and three of them surrounded the newest member of Red's team, Lapras. It would be sparring against all of Red's pokemon to grow quickly. Lapras was replacing Red's Espeon. Rina's four pokemon paired off as well, Berry training with Rick and Debbie training with Oscar. Pippi, meanwhile, quickly met up with her mother.

"-Pippi, where have you been?-" The other, older Pikachu asked her.

"-Hehe...-" Pippi rubbed the back of her neck. "-I kinda forgot I was supposed to be showing you that technique...-"

"-Typical.-" Pikachu sighed. "-Well, better late than never. Let's get started.-" Pippi nodded and the two pikachus ran off far from the rest of the pokemon, giving them room to practice the Volt Tackle technique. In the end, only Deoxys was left out.

"Deoxys, you can go train with my pokemon if you want." Red said to Deoxys. Deoxys looked at him curiously. "We're all friends here, and my pokemon are pretty tough. You don't have to worry about being too rough on them." Deoxys pondered this for a moment and then floated over to meet up with Red's pokemon, switching into its defense form along the way.

"Alright. Now I guess I should coach Lapras and the others, they need it the most." Red said to himself, folding his arms. Though it was cold and snowing, Red was hardly bothered by it. He had been training at Mt. Silver for over two years and had long since gotten used to the weather. In a way, he had trained himself as much as he had his pokemon.

"I'm afraid I'll be interrupting your training." Red narrowed his eyes and quickly spun around to see who was talking. When he saw the Team Rocket uniform, he clenched his teeth in rage.

"You...I had a feeling Team Rocket wouldn't stay down..."

"Hmph. You say that as if we've met before." The Masked Rocket said to him. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am known as the Masked Rocket."

"Mask or not, you're just another grunt." Red shot back.

"I'm afraid that's not quite right." The Masked Rocket said, taking a pokeball in his hand. "You're about to see for yourself just where I rank. I suggest calling upon one of your pokemon."

_"Pretty cocky for a Rocket."_ Red thought. He glanced back over his shoulder and whistled. "Lapras, over here!" Though he only called to Lapras, every pokemon gathered ended up looking in his direction out of curiosity. All of Red's pokemon then rushed to his side, with Lapras sliding on his belly across the snow and moving out in front of Red. Red's pokemon were soon joined by Rina's when they realized what was going on.

"Sudowoodo, come forth!" The young Rocket called out, releasing his pokemon from its pokeball. A rocky pokemon shaped like a tree appeared in front of and to the right of the Rocket.

_"That pokemon looks like a tree, but I won't be fooled."_ Red thought. "Lapras, attack with Hydro Pump!"

_"Hydro Pump should be easy enough to evade. I'll wait to call an attack so Sudowoodo won't be distracted."_ The Rocket thought. He stood back and watched the scene unfold.

Sudowoodo tensed, getting ready to dodge Lapras's attack while Lapras reared his head back. Lapras then lurched forward, spraying a high-pressure stream of water at Sudowoodo. Despite the pokemon's preparation, it was a bit sluggish in avoiding the attack. The stream of water struck Sudowoodo head on as a result, pushing it to the ground and sending it sliding back across the snow. When Sudowoodo finally came to a stop, it was already unconscious.

"What?!" The Masked Rocket uttered in shock when he saw his pokemon unconscious. _"Impossible! Even if I underestimated him, my pokemon should be able to endure more than that! Is it because we're not battling our usual way that Sudowoodo wasn't able to reach its full potential?"_

"Did you really think it wouldn't end that way?" Red shook his head. "I've battled countless grunts, admins, and beat Giovanni himself several times, what made you think you stood a chance?"

_"That settles it then, I can't mount a challenge against Red like this."_ The Rocket thought, grinning wryly behind his mask.

Shortly after Red's quick victory over the Masked Rocket, Rina emerged from a nearby cave opening riding Charizard. Charizard flew over toward Red and the rest of the pokemon and landed next to them, and Rina frowned when she saw the rocket's unconscious Sudowoodo.

"Guess its over already..." Rina mumbled in disappointment.

"Know this guy?" Red asked without looking at her. Rina nodded.

"He was asking me where to find you, but kept going anyway when I didn't tell him."

"It seems coming here may have been pointless." The Masked Rocket said, looking toward Red. "Red. We will battle again, but next time we will be much more evenly matched I assure you!"

"And who says I'm letting you get away?!" Red growled. The rocket smirked behind his mask and then suddenly took off running toward his Sudowoodo, as well as the edge of the mountain. "H-hey! Wait!" Red called out after him.

"Wait? Like I really would!" The rocket called back, a bit more enthusiasm noticeable in his voice than before. With his left hand he recalls his Sudowoodo as he passes by it, with his right he releases another pokemon into the air ahead of him. A fish-like pokemon that seemed to have wings like a bird appeared in the air. The pokemon wore a strap around its body with a metal bar hanging from the bottom of it.

"Mantine! Let's go!" The rocket called out, again showing an unusual amount of energy compared to his previous composure as he jumped up and grabbed the bar. Though the pokemon didn't seem to be capable of flying, the Masked Rocket was able to glide away from the mountain by hanging onto it and riding the fierce winds that blew around the mountain.

"He just used a mantine as a hang glider." Rina said, blinking. "Doesn't he have a flying pokemon?"

"It makes no difference, either way he's managed to get away." Red said, shaking his head in dismay. It didn't take long for the rocket to disappear from sight with the snow falling around them.

_"Actually, Deoxys probably could have caught up with him and maybe tail him from a distance so we could find what's left of Team Rocket, but it'd be hard to find the guy now."_ Rina thought.

"Well, I guess that's that then." Red muttered. He then turned around to address his pokemon. "Alright, everyone, show's over. Lets get back to it. Guys like that are the reason we need to keep at it." The group of pokemon cried out in agreement and then returned to where they were training, with the sole exception of Charizard.

"I'm going to be busy training Lapras, you heading back down to the water?" Red then asked Rina. Rina thought about it for a moment, glancing toward Charizard, and then shook her head.

"No, I shouldn't be relaxing while my pokemon are training. Even though its cold, I'll stay." Rina replied. A sudden gust of cold air blew past her, sending a chill through her body and causing her to shiver. She tried to mentally block out the cold, knowing full well it'd get worse when she was away from Charizard.

Noticing Rina shivering, Red took off his jacket, leaving himself only wearing a black t-shirt, and placed it on Rina's shoulders. Rina blinked in disbelief and looked over at him. "Don't push yourself. Stay close to Charizard for now and let him warm you up if you think the cold is starting to get to you."

"Th-thanks..." Rina mumbled, her cheeks turning red. She was already starting to feel warmer.

* * *

Author's Notes: Mini-chapter. Title is a pun on "Mask of Ice", a pokemon special villain. Wanted to use this to show a villain that'll be in the far-off Johto Saga (working for Team Rocket, obviously) and show Red and Rina interacting a bit at Mt. Silver. Their relationship is progressing slowly, obviously, but I tried to show Red being a bit more open with her.

That's one chapter for the week down, two more to go. The Sinnoh chapter is fairly close to being finished as well, though, so even if I only finish chapter 22 with a day to spare I should be good. Assuming I don't get another page or so done on the side.

Originally was going to include this scene in the last chapter, but it didn't quite fit. Thought about putting it in chapter 22 but it'd look a bit out of place with the time skip. So it became its own, short chapter.


	22. Chapter 22: Splitting Up

**Pokemon Legends: Sidestories**

**Chapter Twenty Two**

**Splitting Up**

Date: 2 years, 6 months after the Sanctuary's completion.

"Bellossom, grand finale! Petal Dance!" May called out. Her Bellossom leapt into the air and spun around. Pink petals swirled around Bellossom's body and were then launched at the opposing Aggron. The aggron groaned in pain as the petals sliced across its body and then collapsed, already weakened from exchanging blows with the very same pokemon.

"And just like that another of the challenger's pokemon falls! Thats five down on his side, but our champion May is still packing all six of her's! Is there any chance at victory left for this poor kid!?"

_"That announcer really knows how to rub it in."_ Brendan thought, wincing. He had decided to challenge May for her title and he thought he put together a strong team. Heck, this was the same team that beat the Elite Four for him! But now, May's pokemon were tearing through his one after another. Brendan recalled Aggron and took his final pokeball in hand.

"Come on, Brendan! I thought you'd at least put up more of a fight than this!" May called out to him from across the field.

_"That's easy for her to say, but she's gotten a lot stronger since Wally almost beat her. Is it even possible for me to close the gap between our skill levels now?"_ Brendan wiped his forehead with his sleeve. He was sweating bullets. _"I just don't get it! I chose my best pokemon, I raised them the best I could, I finally beat the rest of Hoenn's league, but I can't even beat just one of May's pokemon?"_

"I guess this is it then." He muttered as he finally held up his pokeball. "All up to you now, Bro!" The pokeball opened up and released a swampert onto the field, a pokemon that had evolved from the first pokemon he had ever received. Bro could tell they were in a tough spot when he recognized the grass-type pokemon prancing about on the other side of the field. Still, the swampert intended to give it his all.

"Bellossom, that's good enough, return!" May said to her pokemon as she recalled it, a move which didn't surprise Brendan much. May was making sure each of her pokemon got at least one match, and she still had one pokemon left.

"Blaziken, this last one is all your's!" May called out, releasing her own fully evolved starter pokemon onto the field. Blaziken let out a loud screech and engulfed its wrists in flames as he materialized.

_"I wish I could say I had a chance, but that blaziken has been beating my swampert ever since they were a torchic and mudkip. I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I really should have considered how to fight such a matchup." _Brendan sighed. _"Makes no difference now anyway..."_

"Bro, attack with Muddy Water!" Brendan called out. Swampert roared and raised his hands into the air, summoning a wall of muddy water and sending it speeding across the field.

"Blaziken, brace against it!" Blaziken crossed his arms and stood his ground. The brownish water crashed down on top of Blaziken, spreading out and briefly concealing Blaziken from view. That brief cover was all he needed, though. The first sign that something had happened was the water suddenly draining toward Blaziken. Eventually, the hole in the ground it was draining through could be seen.

_"Knew she was up to something when she ordered Blaziken to take it, but we're ready for this one."_ Brendan thought, a smirk crossing his lips. "Bro, its underground! Take it out with Earthquake while we have the chance!"

_"Bro? Is that really what he called his Swampert?"_ May wondered, blinking. _"Though...I call Blaziken, Blaziken. I guess I don't have much room to talk..."_

Bro slammed the ground with his right foot, sending a shockwave throughout the arena. The ground across the field between the swampert and where Blaziken stood began to shake violently and would almost definitely knock Blaziken out if it was in the line of fire while underground. However, during the attack, Bro failed to take notice of the small hole opening in front of him.

_"Too bad Brendan doesn't know what we're doing, but Blaziken and I have been training and worked out a way to beat tough water-type pokemon!"_ May thought with a smirk. Even from across the arena, Brendan noticed her unusually calm demeanour.

_"She doesn't seem worried. Why doesn't she seem worried?"_ Brendan wondered. He soon had his answer as Blaziken burst from the ground, delivering a swift uppercut into Bro's jaw. The attack caught the swampert completely off guard and knocked it onto its back. Blaziken quickly hopped back from Bro and then jumped straight up into the air.

"What the? Where did that come from?!" Brendan yelled in shock.

"You better pay attention, its not over yet!" May yelled.

A blue aura in the image of a bird surrounded Blaziken as it soared straight up. He flipped over in the air as he reached the height of his jump and descended on a slight angle, plummeting toward Bro with a Brave Bird attack. Bro was just getting back up again when Blaziken slammed into him head-first, throwing him back into the wall of the gym. Blaziken flipped back from the impact, landing on his feet but looking slightly dazed while Bro was looking to be in pretty rough shape as he struggled to get back on his feet. He seemed to get a burst of energy as a blue glow surrounded him, his torrent ability activating, but still winced when he was standing up again.

"What an amazing combination! With an underground sneak attack, Blaziken already has this water pokemon against the ropes! Even with a total type advantage over his opponent's pokemon, Brendan just can't mount a challenge against May!"

"I wish I could shut that guy off." Brendan grumbled, clenching his fist.

"What do you think of that, Brendan? We practiced that combo just to deal with water pokemon like your Swampert!" May said to him, grinning from ear to ear.

_"I want to say its reckless, but sadly her strategy is working somehow." _Brendan thought, wincing. "You got us good, but thanks to torrent we can still win this! Bro, Muddy Water!"

"No way, we'll finish this first!" May called back. "Blaziken, Blaze Kick!"

Blaziken and Bro both moved to attack, but Blaziken was easily the faster of the two. By the time water first began to rise up from the ground, Blaziken's flaming foot was slamming into Bro's face. Bro groaned and crumpled into a heap, what little water he summoned instantly dispersing.

"That's it! Match over, May wins!" The announcer declared. Applause erupted throughout the Evergrande City stadium.

"Alright! Good work Blaziken!" May called out, congratulating her pokemon. Blaziken folded his arms in front of him, looking pretty smug about his victory. "Sorry, Brendan, better luck next time!" May then recalled Blaziken and left the arena through the rear exit.

"Better luck is exactly what I need at this point." Brendan muttered.

* * *

"Phew, my pokemon have gotten a lot stronger since the time we almost lost to Wally. We completely floored Brendan!" May said to herself, grinning widely as she made her way down the corridor. May was in a good mood from her easy victory and didn't immediately notice the other girl in the corridor. Her grin quickly faded when she did finally notice.

"M-Melany? What are you doing here?"

"I got Wallace to let me in." Melany replied, pushing off the wall she was leaning on to stand and face May. May wasn't sure what to say to her, it was the first time she was talking to Melany face-to-face in quite a while.

"Look, I know you're probably still mad at me, but I'm not here to talk about that. There's just something I had to tell you and I thought I should say it in person."

"Th-there is?" May stuttered, her heart pounding. It almost sounded like she was going to confess something.

"I'll be going to Sinnoh, and I'll probably be gone for a few months at least before I'll be able to come back." Melany says to her. "I took my junior professor exam recently and passed, easily, but the professor that decided to teach me after that is based in Sinnoh so I'll be studying at his lab for a while."

"...What? Seriously? That's what you came here to say?" May frowned and folded her arms in front of her. "Couldn't you have just told me over the phone or something?"

Melany rubbed the back of her neck. "I thought I'd drop by at least one more time before I left, to say goodbye. I still don't get why you're still so upset over that. I mean, I was just jok-"

"SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP! I don't want to hear about that!" May yelled, her arms flailing.

Melany flinched "R-right...well...I'll keep in touch I guess." Melany then turned and left down the corridor to leave the same way she came in.

"S-stupid Melany. Why would I care if she's going to Sinnoh?" May mumbled to herself. "I have other things to think about right now, anyway! Like how badly I beat Brendan just now!"

* * *

About a month later, another pair of trainers at the Viridian City gym would find themselves in a similar situation...

"So you're going to Sinnoh?" Gary shrugged. "What's the big deal? Its hardly any different than when you're going to Hoenn."

"I could end up staying a while, its a new region with a lot of new pokemon afterall." Ashley replied, smiling slightly. "I'll probably stay for a while, so..."

"I see. I understand then." Gary said quietly, nodding to her. "How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"Probably a few months, depending on how many pokemon there are and how quickly I can track them down." Ashley then grinned and reached out to pat Gary on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll find a nice souvenir for you."

"Hmph." Gary shook his head. "I don't need something like that. If you find an evolution item for one of my pokemon then I'll take it, but don't feel like you need to go out of your way to find one."

"That shouldn't be too hard." Ashley replied, nodding. "Well, see you later then..." Ashley turned and headed for the door, but Gary suddenly reached out and grabbed her.

"Wait! Take this." Gary handed a pokeball to Ashley. "Its Blastoise."

"You're...giving me Blastoise?" Ashley looked at the pokeball that was given to her, blinking in disbelief, then glared at Gary. "Gary! You should know better than anyone that I don't need protection."

"I know, I know." Gary muttered, waving her off. "Look, this is for my benefit then. I can't go there myself, I have a gym to run. So take Blastoise with you so I can rest easy at least knowing one of my pokemon is watching over you."

"Fair enough, but I hope you're not going to lose sleep over this." Ashley said to him, opening her travel bag and placing the pokeball inside. She didn't have enough clips on her belt to hold a seventh pokeball.

"You've got your pokemon and my Blastoise, I'll sleep just fine." Gary said with a shrug.

"Good." Ashley took a few steps toward him to give him a quick kiss on the lips, surprising Gary and leaving him with a stunned expression. "See you later!" Ashley then turned and bolted out of the gym before Gary could have any chance to respond. Finally shaking it off, Gary glared at the gym entrance.

"Damn tease..."

* * *

And yet another week later, in the kitchen on Sanctuary Island, Rina herself was getting ready for a trip to Sinnoh...

"Ok, unless I'm forgetting something, we're all good to go!" Rina said, standing back proudly from the backpack on the table. The backpack looked like it was ready to explode from all the stuff that was crammed into it.

"-If we're forgetting anything, we'll need a second backpack.-" Pippi commented dryly. "-You have no idea how to pack. Where's that Brock guy when you need him?-"

"Hey! I'm just being prepared! Melany said its cold up there you know!" Rina shot back.

"-What does the cold have to do with packing a rope?-"

"You never know when you'll need a rope!"

"-Isn't Geri a living pile of ropes? You could just take her pokeball!-" Pippi suggested.

Rina shuddered. "She's also a dirty scene waiting to happen."

"-Umm...-" Pippi blinked. "-I don't get it?-"

"Well..."

Before Rina could explain, the kitchen door was suddenly kicked in followed by an angry cry of "MELANY!" Rina and Pippi looked over in shock and saw May walk in.

"May...the door has a handle you know, and it does work." Rina said flatly.

"Yeah, well...umm..." May thought for a moment, but she couldn't come up with any reason to justify kicking it in. She quickly shook her head. "Nevermind that! Where's Melany?"

"Umm...you know what already, don't you?" Rina asked, blinking. "She said she stopped by to see you on her way to Sinnoh..."

"Wait! She was going there THEN?!" May said, shoulders drooping. "I was going to go too..."

"She said you still seemed mad at her though. And you can still go anyway you know..."

"-May's not making much sense today.-" Pippi noted. Rina nodded to her in agreement.

"Hmph!" May folded her arms in front of her and looked away. "I still haven't forgiven her, but she's useless without me! She'd be in trouble if she ran into some Team Golem or Team Sky that was after her pokemon!"

"Her pokemon are just as strong as your's though." Rina said meekly, then turned her attention to the overstuffed backpack. "I'm actually about to leave for Sinnoh too so I can help Melany out with any research she's tasked with, so we could just go together." Rina looked back toward May, but then realized there was no one there.

"-May didn't even say anything before she left.-" Pippi said, blinking.

"...Or we could all end up in Sinnoh going our separate ways." Rina sighed. "What's with her all of a sudden anyway? It was almost like she was hiding something..."

Pippi shrugged."-Its not like we won't end up meeting up in the end anyway if she's going there to find Melany.-"

* * *

And so, as it would happen, all four of the girls are heading to Sinnoh on their own. But they won't be the only ones. At the Silph Company lobby, another scene is taking place...

"Oh! Leaving already, Mr. Charon? Your shift isn't over yet!" The receptionist said to the purple haired, labcoat-clad man leaving the building. The man stopped suddenly and snickered to himself.

"Oh, but dear, my shift is quite over...permanently." Charon reached into his coat, pulling out a pen-like object. "You may consider this my 2-week notice." He adds, then presses a button at the tip. An explosion rocks the building and the receptionist is left frantically calling security as Charon makes his way out of the building. Outside, a blue-haired man wearing an outfit that bore a resemblance to an astronaut's space suit waited.

"Must you make such a noisy exit? This will attract undue attention." The man said calmly, his facial expression blank.

"Bah! Better this than they claim my research for themselves." Charon said, waving his hand dismissively.

_"...Greed. Another product of the incomplete human spirit, but his research and intelligence will be of great value to us."_ The blue haired man thought. _"With his help, I shall create a new world. One without spirit. And I...I shall become god of this new world!" _The man turned his back, hiding the faintest of smirks.

"Let us be off, Charon, I would prefer to be gone before the police arrive to investigate."

"Ah, yes, to Veilstone in the Sinnoh region, was it?" Charon smirked, following the man as they left the scene. _"Team Rocket was quite the disappointment, an entire organization losing to a young lad from Pallet Town. Let us see, then, how Team Galactic fares."_

* * *

Author's Notes: Phew...was worried I might not even finish this one! I wish I could say it was the holidays that drew away my time, but I came down with a horrible little thing called the norovirus. Not really life threatening, but not fun in the least.

Anyway, another "mini-chapter" of sorts. Or at least a bit shorter than most chapters. This one was just to set-up for the Sinnoh Saga, showing each girl heading there on their own and briefly showing a certain villain and connecting one of his subordinates to Silph. And showing May beating Brendan too, rather soundly I might add.

Needless to say, this means everyone will be making a showing in the Sinnoh Saga. But they won't be stealing the spotlight from the new characters by any means.

You know, I suppose this chapter was late since it was posted after midnight. Or midnight here at least since I'm sure most of my readers are an hour behind me at least. Oh well. First Sinnoh chapter should be available to read too now, or whenever the database updates. However that works.


End file.
